Zoe and Max-Miracles
by LauraLovesNT
Summary: Sequel to "New Faces and Old Secrets". This is the story of Zoe, Max, Zoe's pregnancy with their twins, the birth of the twins, and general ups and downs in Holby ED.
1. Chapter 1

Max and Zoe-Miracles

Chapter One-Teamwork and Tesco Trips

A/N

So this is the sequel to "New Faces and Old Secrets". I hope that you all enjoy! I'm going to try and update every Tuesday and Thursday :D

This fic picks up a month after "New Faces and Old Secrets" ended, which makes Zoe 5 & ½ months pregnant.

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx

It was Zoe's day off, and Max was at work.

Zoe was flicking through a magazine when her mobile rang.

She was surprised to see it was Rebecca.

"Hello?" Zoe asked.

"Zo, you're not going to like this and I know it's your day off, but the ED is manic and we've just got a call to say that there's been a fire at the local library. 10 major casualties and 5 minor ones, and St James' ED is manic as well due to the ice on the roads and can't take in any patients. Please can you come in?" Rebecca asked.

"Of course I will. I'm a bit bored on my own, to be honest! I'll be with you in twenty minutes, see you soon" Zoe said before hanging up.

She got changed into her work clothes, touched her makeup up and drove to the ED.

"Zoe!" Max said in surprise as Zoe walked into reception. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting!" he continued.

"Rebecca requested that I come in. The fire." Zoe explained.

"Alright." Max gave her a peck on the cheek. "Don't get too stressed and please don't faint or anything!" he told her.

"I won't! stop worrying, if I do faint at least I'm in the right place!" Zoe smiled.

She put her bags in the office and met Rebecca at cubicles.

"Right. What d'you want me to do?" Zoe decided to let Rebecca take charge.

"Really?" her deputy asked.

"Yep! After all, you'll be Clinical Lead for a while whilst I'm on maternity leave, you may as well gain some experience now." Zoe answered.

"We'll have to walk and talk, we've got an RTC coming in, Dixie's just paged me." Rebecca replied.

Zoe nodded and they made their way to reception. Rebecca called the team together.

"Right. Robyn, Lofty, Rita, Tess and Ethan, I would like you to clear cubicles. Lily, Cal, Ash and Charlie, at least two of you need to be in resus at all times." Rebecca ordered.

"I'd like you two to make sure things are running smoothly, as will Zoe and I." Rebecca answered.

There was a cough behind them. "What about me?" Dylan looked slightly offended at the fact he seemed to have been forgotten about.

"Just be your usual annoying self. You can stay with Rita. Rita, keep him in order please. And Max, try and stay out of trouble!" Zoe pitched in.

At that moment, Dixie came in, wheeling a patient, a young girl of 15 with major injuries.

Dixie reeled off all of their sats to Zoe. Zoe gave some orders and the patient was wheeled down to resus where Lily and Cal took over.

"This is going really well." Rebecca said to Zoe a while later.

"I agree! This system works well-plus Zoe being here makes all the difference" Max butted in.

"Less of your cheek." Zoe jabbed him in the ribs, but giggling all the same.

"You two are practically sickly." Charlie teased. Zoe pretended to be cross and frowned.

"Child." Max chided as his pager went off.

The casualties came in and were treated, the system that Rebecca had devised worked rather well.

"Good work, everyone." Zoe said as their afternoon shift came to an end. The sun was setting and everyone was either off to the pub or off home.

"Pub?" Max asked. "No, I'm exhausted." Zoe smiled.

"Well… if you'll let me have the keys to your precious Audi… we have somewhere to go." Max replied.

Zoe sighed and chucked him her car keys. "Anywhere exciting, dare I ask?" she enquired.

"Nah." Max shook his head.

"Well why are we going?" Zoe grumbled.

"Because it's important." Came his simple reply.

They drew up at Tesco.

Max killed the engine and got out.

He opened the passenger door. Zoe looked at him with a mournful expression. "Why can't we just live off takeaways?" she asked, only semi-sarcastic.

"Because, as much as I love them, you are going to be a mummy and junk food is unhealthy." Max replied.

"Fine. Don't you love me as well?" Zoe asked as he helped her out of the car.

"Zo, of course I do. More than you'll ever know, Spider-man. And our little ones." He smiled and placed a hand on her tummy.

"I love you too." Zoe felt tears in her eyes. She gave him a kiss.

He took her hand and they made their way into the busy superstore. Zoe felt a little disorientated.

"What do we need, then?" she tried her best to concentrate.

"Bread, milk, eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and some veg." Max answered.

Zoe nodded and they navigated their way to the different aisles and picked up everything they needed.

"I think we just need to get some orange juice and we're done." Max said.

Zoe nodded. "I'm tired out!" she commented as Max picked up a bottle of orange juice and a bottle of apple juice and put the items into their trolley.

"So, shall we go and pay?" Zoe asked.

Max shook his head. "I've had a brainwave-wait here." He ordered.

Zoe stood next to the trolley, confused as Max headed off in the other direction.

"Men!" she muttered as she checked her phone.

Max came back a few minutes later, holding something behind his back.

"What have you got there?" Zoe was suspicious.

"Er… please don't shout at me, but seeing as you're going to be a Mum, you might have to learn to bake a thing or two." Max revealed a cookbook entitled "Recipes For Beginners-Cakes, Biscuits, and Bakes".

"Er… ok." Zoe answered.

Max was slightly surprised by her response. "You sure?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah. It's about time I learnt to cook." She smiled. To tell the truth, she was too tired to argue with him.

"Okay…" Max answered.

They paid for their shopping and Max drove home.

"What d'you want for dinner?" Max asked as Zoe removed her famous heels from her feet and flopped onto the sofa.

"Food." She teased. Max rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. "Anything as long as it's quick. Something with tomato, preferably." Zoe decided .

"Ah, is that the twin's choice or yours?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"The twin's!" she replied.

"Well, you two, Daddy always aims to please" Max informed Zoe's bump.

"Er, that's not quite true! Your Dad can be annoying at times!" Zoe corrected.

"And your mother, as I have learnt, is always right." Her partner added.

"That's right! I can't believe how fast they're growing." Zoe said.

"Well, they are going to be strong, gorgeous, and healthy healthy, just like their mum." Max said.

"Healthy? Me? I doubt you've seen me running anywhere, then you will have second thoughts about that remark!" Zoe laughed.

They had their tea, Max did the washing up and Zoe dried. She went back into the lounge and put the TV on.

Max finished putting the crockery away, and went into the living room.

"Zoe do you-" he stopped when he saw her.

She was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep, her hand on her bump.

"I guess you don't want a cuppa then, Spiderman?" he asked, kissing her gently on the forehead. He then picked her up, bridal-style, and carried her upstairs to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two-Grumpiness and Smugness

A few days later…

It was a Friday afternoon, and it was almost time for Zoe's scan. Because of her medical history, Tess and Zoe had agreed that instead of having a scan every two weeks, she was to have one every week, just to be on the safe side.

Zoe was in a bad mood, convinced that all of the patients in the ED that particular afternoon were "a load of bloody time wasters who need to get out of my department." She obviously did not mean it underneath of course, it was pregnancy hormones!

Rebecca decided to leave Zoe to do some paperwork.

Zoe typed out a patient report, occasionally swearing under her breath when she made a mistake.

"Isn't it time for your scan soon?" Rebecca attempted to chat to Zoe.

"Yep. " Zoe answered shortly.

"Knock knock" Max stuck his head round the door. Rebecca flashed him a warning look and got up. "I'd be very careful if I were you, she's in a mood. A very bad mood" She informed the porter.

He nodded in thanks. "I'll bear that in mind!" he answered.

"Zo? Come on, time to see the twins." Max said gently to his partner.

"We're not going to see them for another three and a half months you idiot." She snapped.

Max sighed. "Zoe Hanna, move your bum. You know you like seeing them on the monitor, you were practically shoving the scan printouts in Dylan's face the other day!" he replied.

Zoe looked up. "I wasn't that bad, was I?" she asked, a slightly worried expression on her face.

"No! I was teasing!" he replied.

"Oh." Zoe answered, getting up, with slight difficulty.

Max saw this, and offered her his arm.

"Thank you." She said.

"That's alright, anything for my beautiful Zo" Max answered, smiling at her.

"I'm sorry for being off with you… one of the side effects of being pregnant." She grumbled.

"I know" Max reassured her as they made their way to the lift.

"Did you get through much paperwork?" Max asked as they stood aside to let Robyn and Rita pass.

"Yeah, actually." Zoe answered as they stepped into the lift.

"Good." He pulled her close. "I'll be with you every step of the way, you know that. Today is just one of those days, don't worry about it." he said.

"I know." She smiled, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Max, I've been thinking." She said as the lift pinged to a stop and the door slid open.

"Yeah?" he asked, taking her hand. She took a deep breath, her heart rate went up slightly.

"I think you should meet my parents soon." Zoe informed him.

"Oh… okay." Max was slightly shocked by this. Before this, Zoe had barely mentioned her parents to him, apart from the odd childhood memory or joke.

"They're nice, I promise. Mum's a bit overwhelming at first, Dad will probably want a chat ith you to make sure that you won't hurt me in any way, shape or form. Apart from that they're fine!" Zoe informed him.

They checked in at the desk at the maternity ward, and then went to a spare cubicle and waited for Zoe's midwife, Athina. Tess was on her way as well, but she had been delayed by Lofty, who wanted a chat with her.

"Do you have any more paperwork for this weekend?" Max asked Zoe whilst they were waiting.

"Not much, but I think I'm going to offer to do some of Rebecca's. it's Jake's birthday on Sunday, you see." Zoe said.

"Ah,." Max nodded as Tess made her way towards them.

"Hello, Zoe. How are you feeling today?" Tess asked, slipping into nurse mode.

"Well, pregnancy hormones are kicking in, I've been snapping everybody's heads off today" Zoe looked down guiltily.

"It's perfectly normal." Tess smiled.

Tess, Zoe, and Max chatted for a while longer, until Athina arrived.

"Sorry," the young brunette said "I was held up with a difficult breech birth" she told them.

"It's okay" Zoe smiled as Tess set up the scanning machine.

Zoe pulled her dress up as Athina put some surgical gloves on in order to examine her tummy.

"Zoe, have you had any pain in your lower back at all?" Athina asked as she checked Zoe's tummy over.

"Yeah, a couple of cramps last night, and a few the other day." Zoe answered.

Athina nodded and wrote the information down in Zoe's notes.

"You know the drill, Zoe, this is going to be cold." Tess said.

Zoe nodded, and as usual, winced slightly at the cold gel.

Max detected a brief moment of worry in his partner's eyes as she waited for the image on the screen to clear. As the image cleared, Zoe's face lit up.

"They're starting to look like proper little people now!" she beamed.

"They are!" Max agreed as he studied the screen.

"Well, they look like they are doing just fine." Tess smiled. Zoe sighed in relief.

"D'you want the scan picture printed?" Athina asked.

"Yeah, please may we have four copies?" Zoe asked. "Of course" Athina smiled.

Soon afterwards, Zoe and Max went back to the ED after the scan pictures had been printed.

"In two weeks we can find out what we're having!" Zoe said happily. Her mood had improved since earlier that afternoon, Max was pleased-he was scared of her when she was grumpy!

"Why can't we just wait until they're born?" Max asked.

"Because," Zoe said as Lofty handed her a patient file "We need to be organized!" she informed him.

"Hmm, I suppose it would be better." Max agreed. Zoe smiled. "I told you I'm always right!" she said in a smug tone.

"Don't rub it in!" Max laughed, giving her a kiss goodbye. "See you later." He said.

"See you later" Zoe echoed with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Zoe read the patient file, and realized that she had a report to type up on it. She frowned, she already had three to do that night, plus Rebecca's, if she had any.

She decided to leave the reports for now, and instead go to cubicles. She treated some patients, helped Ethan to diagnose a condition, and had a chat with Rita.

She spotted Rebecca talking to Charlie, and made her way over to them.

"Zoe!" Rebecca smiled.

"How did the scan go?" Charlie asked.

"It went great!" Zoe smiled, and showed them the scan printouts.

"Aww!" Rebecca cooed.

"If you're like that now with just scan printouts, imagine what you'll be like when the twins get here!" Charlie commented.

"I'm not going to be that bad!" Rebecca protested.

"Charlie was joking! I need to ask you something" Zoe answered.

"Okay, see you Charlie" Rebecca said, and the two consultants went back to their office.

"Right, is there any paperwork that you want me to do over the weekend?" Zoe asked.

"Nope, I've done it." Rebecca replied.

"How? And I hope you're not fibbing!" the Clinical Lead answered.

"I'm not! I got through it whilst you had your scan, I promise" her deputy protested.

"Okay, if you're sure?" Zoe asked.

"I am." Rebecca smiled, getting her coat on, it was the end of their shift.

"Good, I've only got some reports to get through tomorrow." The other woman replied, checking her phone before dropping it into her bag.

Zoe spotted Max at reception, talking to Lofty. Lofty noticed Zoe, but she put a finger on her lips. "Shush!" she mouthed.

She crept up to her partner, who was completely unaware of her presence.

"Boo!" she said loudly.

Max jumped about ten feet into the air. "What did you do that for, Zoe?! You gave me a bloody heart attack!" he scowled.

"You love me! I'm just keeping you on your toes." She teased, as she began to walk towards the exit of the ED.

"Hmm." Max replied, catching up with her.

They made their way home.

"I am exhausted." Zoe announced, flopping onto the sofa.

"So am I" Max agreed, sitting next to her.

"Max… you do realize that we're going to have to move soon, right?" Zoe asked.

"What? Why?" he asked.

"Because," Zoe answered, sitting up. "We're having twins, and we only have one spare room apart from mine." She said.

"Ah… I must admit I never thought of that…" Max replied.

"I thought as much!" Zoe answered, grabbing a pen and a notebook from the coffee table.

"Right, to-do list for tomorrow: Ring my parents, look on a couple of estate agent websites, and finish my paperwork." Zoe said as she wrote her list out.

"Can I add something?" her partner asked. She nodded and handed the pen and paper to him.

"Teach my beautiful partner to make tuna and pasta bake!" Max grinned.

"Fine… we are going to do the other things first though!" the Clinical Lead decided.

Quick A/N

So I hope you're all enjoying this! I decided to let Zax move because they are obviously going to be a bigger family in a few months, this fic wise. Plus I have the house planned out and everything! I also did it because I'd just like to write it to see what happens!

Laura xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four-Chats, Kisses, and History

So0 this and the next chapter was originally going to be one large one, but I decided that it would be better as two because I thought that it would be too long and heavy! I also apologise about the fact that Zoe's family history is made up! I have barely any idea of it and I don't think it's been mentioned in much detail?

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx

The next morning…

Max was awoken by Zoe, who was snoring. Loudly.

"Zo! Knock it off!" he tried to nudge her to get her to stir.

"Mmmph" came her reply. She shuffled away from him, but continued to snore.

"Zoe Hanna, open your eyes and stop snoring now otherwise I will pour freezing cold water over you." Max said. As he'd predicted, Zoe's eyes snapped open.

"If you do that I will send you into work today, and I will inform Rebecca that she has to be very snappy and mean to you, and she will make you do every single job." She informed him, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Er, I'm sorry Zo. It's just that you were snoring rather loudly!" he apologised.

"I wasn't actually snoring, I did it to wake you up." Zoe smirked.

"Cheeky!" Max said as he began to tickle her.

"No, Max! Stop it!" Zoe squealed.

"Well, are you sorry?" he asked.

"Yes! Now stop!" she growled.

Max stopped tickling her, and grinned.

"Revenge is sweet" he cackled.

"Hmm." Zoe replied, then looked shocked.

"Zo? You okay? Are the babies okay?" Max asked when he saw he worried expression.

"Yep, more than fine! They're kicking!" Zoe grabbed Max's hand and put it on her tummy.

Max smiled. "This is amazing! Does it hurt?" he enquired.

"Nope, not at all." She answered.

"It all seems so real now" Max commented.

Zoe nodded in agreement. "Our lives are going to be turned upside down" she mused.

"I agree!" her partner nodded.

"We need to get up." Zoe changed the subject.

Max burrowed under the duvet. "Why?" he whinged.

"Because we have stuff to do." Zoe threw the duvet back and got up. "I'm going to have a shower, if you want to join me I suggest you make it quick as I'm only going to be ten minutes." She said.

The two showered, and whilst Zoe was drying her hair, Max made them some breakfast. He was setting the kitchen table as Zoe made her way downstairs.

"This is nice" she smiled as she padded into the kitchen. "I do have my uses" her partner joked. Zoe giggled.

"Anything for my lady." he smiled.

"We need to ring my mum today." Zoe said through a mouthful of toast.

"Hmm." Max answered, not really listening.

"Max! Pay attention!" Zoe snapped.

"Sorry." He jumped, and turned his attention to her.

"We need to ring my mum today. I'm a little nervous." She admitted.

"Why?" he reached for her hand and took it, squeezing it gently.

"Well… I haven't spoken to them in ages, the last time I spoke to them was when you moved in with me, now I'm nearly six months pregnant with twins and we're going to be moving soon…" Zoe explained.

"And you're worried that it's going to be a big shock for them? Or that they're going to be angry?" Max asked, trying to make sense of her little speech.

"The latter." Came the short reply.

"How come?" he asked.

Zoe sighed. "Well… my parents always wanted me to have a big family, then I started training to be a doctor, went to uni and med school, etc… Then I got together with Nick, we got engaged, then he left… they'll be sceptical, at the very least… I think they will be angry because I haven't told them about the twins, too." She continued.

"Zo, I am sure it will all be fine. I bet your Mum will be over the moon that she's going to be a Granny." Max smiled.

"I know, I'm just being silly. Let's do this, shall we?" Zoe asked as she retrieved her phone from her jacket pocket.

She got her contacts up and scrolled down to find her parent's number. Eventually, and not without some difficulty, she found it. She took a deep breath and pressed dial.

Zoe put her phone on loudspeaker and put it on the table. To her, the dialling tone seemed endless.

"Hello? Zoe darling, what's up?" a woman's voice answered the phone.

"Hi Mum, nothing's up, I've got some news for you." Zoe answered nervously.

"Well, what is it? Have you broken up with Max, whatever his name was?" came the slightly snappy answer. Max stifled a giggle, Zoe's mum sounded just like her daughter when she was in a strop!

"Definitely not. Mum, you're going to be a Grandma, twice over in fact, I'm pregnant with twins! Max and I are going to be parents!" Zoe tried not to sound overly excited.

"You're what? Really? Twins?!" her mum sounded pretty shocked.

"Yes! I'm five and a half months along, no problems so far. In fact, they kicked for the first time this morning." Her daughter replied.

"That's great news! Oh Zoe, I'm so happy for you!" replied her Mum, sounding a lot more amicable now.

"Thank you. Can Max and I come and see you soon? I'd like to see Liverpool again. And Lily and the twins?" Zoe asked.

"Of course you can dear, you know you are always welcome." Came the happy answer.

Zoe and her Mum arranged a time for Zoe and Max to visit, Zoe then ended the call with promises to be careful and "don't work yourself too hard!"

"Who's Lily? And the twins?" Max asked curiously.

"Ah, for that you will have to come into the living room with me, my back's hurting." Zoe answered, getting up.

She went into the living room, got a cardboard box out of one of the cupboards, and sat on the sofa.

"Now, where is it?" she muttered, sifting through the box's varied contents.

"Aha!" Zoe finally found what she was looking for: a photo album.

"That looks rather dusty." Said Max. She jumped.

"God, Max! Don't do that, it's not good for the twins." Zoe scolded.

"You did it to me yesterday! Fair is fair!" he answered.

"Fine!" Zoe rolled her eyes at his childishness, and opened the album.

The first picture was of a girl, whom Max assumed to be Zoe, and a younger girl, who Max thought to be her sister, or perhaps cousin.

"That's me" Zoe pointed to the elder girl, then pointed to the younger girl. "And that's my sister, Lilly. She's three years younger than me, and she's still a little monkey even though we're both adults now!" she smiled.

"And she has twins?" Max asked.

Zoe nodded. "Yes, two girls, Poppy and Amy. My dad is a twin, and my paternal grandma was as well. I guess it runs in the family" she replied.

"And what are your parent's names?" Max frowned. "I've forgotten them." He stated.

"Mum's name is Alice, Dad's name is Richard." Zoe answered.

"Ah okay, thank you." He smiled.

Zoe frowned slightly. What was he up to?

The pair looked through more of the album.

"Oh Zoe, this is adorable!" Max grinned, pointing to a picture of Zoe as a toddler. Her long hair was in two plaits, and she wore a pink party dress. She was looking at the camera with a slightly scared expression.

"It's not!" she blushed.

"Is!" Max argued.

"Is not!"

"Is!" he insisted,

"Fine!" Zoe pouted.

The pair looked through more of the photo album, until Zoe realized the time.

"Right, I'm going to go and work on the patient reports now, I'll be down in an hour or so." She said, getting up.

"Okay then, don't get too stressed! Remember what your mum said!" Max smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-House Hunting and Baking

A/N

So again, this chapter is fluff but I've been busy with schoolwork this week and I've only been able to think up fluff! Tonight though, I'm on a good streak and I'm writing ahead, so the next chapter will be better, I promise!

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx

Zoe got through her paperwork quickly, much to her surprise.

She decided to start house hunting, after all, there was no time like the present.

"Zo! I've made you a cuppa!" Max's voice sailed up the stairs.

"I'll be down in a sec!" she replied.

Zoe grabbed her Ipad from her bedside table and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Max passed her a mug of tea and she took a sip. "I needed that! Thank you!" she smiled.

Max pulled her close and gave her a kiss. "Anytime, it's my duty as a doting partner to keep my wonderful girlfriend happy" he smiled.

"Does that include skipping today's plan of teaching me to cook?" she asked sweetly. He shook his head. "No chance!"

"Aww" Zoe said.

"It'll be fun! I used to love baking/cooking as a kid." He replied.

"Fine" Zoe knew that she couldn't wriggle out of it.

"Right, I have the recipe up on my phone, so go and wash your hands, get the scales out, and get the pasta out." Max ordered.

"Scales?" Zoe wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"Weighing scales, dafty!" Max said as he hunted around in one of the cupboards for a packet of crisps.

"Ooh! Are those for me?" Zoe asked hopefully when Max found the crisps.

"Nope, they are for the topping of the bake." He answered.

"Oh, okay." Zoe nodded.

Max prepared the tuna and Zoe tipped some cheese sauce mix into a pan.

"Er… how much milk do I need to add?" Zoe tried to make sense of the small text on the packet.

"You need to pour a very small amount into the mixture, stir the mixture and then gradually keep adding the milk." He answered.

Zoe nodded and did as he instructed.

"I think we are just about ready to put this in the oven, once the cheese sauce has been poured on the top and the crisps have been sprinkled on the top." Max said a while later. Zoe nodded. "I think the pasta is just about cooked" she said.

After they had put the bake into the oven to cook, Zoe and Max cleared up.

"How long will it take to cook?" Zoe asked as she put some crockery into the sink.

"Not very long, about 25 minutes? How about, after it's cooked, it's kept warm in the oven and we can have it for lunch?" Max asked.

"Okay, that sounds good. I want an early night tonight anyway" Zoe answered.

"Ooh, really?" Max slid his arm around her waist.

"Not in that way! I'm tired! Honestly, Max!" Zoe scolded, a cheeky look on her face.

"We need to start house-hunting, it's on my list, remember?" Zoe informed him.

"Fine…" Max answered as she took his hand and led him into the living room.

"Right…" the Clinical Lead unlocked her Ipad and opened up the internet. She typed in the name of a local estate agents and tapped on their website.

"How many bedrooms?" Zoe asked, on the screen there was a menu so you could choose how many bedrooms, how big a garden etc you wanted and the website could find the houses which fitted in to that category.

"Erm, I'd say about four or five?" Max asked.

"Okay, I'll go for six. A bedroom each for the twins, a bedroom for us, of course, their nursery/playroom, an office for me and a spare room in case we want to expand our family size in the future." Zoe decided.

"Really?" her partner was surprised.

"of course! I'd love more kids after the twins!" Zoe beamed, but she then frowned. "Unless you don't want to? You're happy with just two?" she asked.

"Zoe, I would love more kids, but whatever happens, happens. If it does happen then that's great, but if it doesn't then we still have the twins, right?" Max said.

"Okay." Zoe smiled and then concentrated on the screen. She typed in the correct details and waited for the webpage to load.

"Ooh! This house looks lovely!" Zoe clicked on a seven bed-roomed detached house which was situated just outside of Holby.

"I agree!" Max answered.

"It's mostly open plan downstairs…. Look, there's a spacious room next to the kitchen, then there's the dining room on the left. Then as you leave the dining room, cross the hall there's a big living room! It's perfect, I can picture myself getting on with some admin, the twins watching tv and you sitting next to me in the little room, we can use the bigger living room for winter time, it says here that there's a log fire!" Zoe said happily.

"You're really taken with it, aren't you?" Max asked. Zoe nodded. "I love it! it's perfect, don't you agree?" she asked.

He nodded. "It is perfect! D'you think we should arrange a viewing?" he asked.

"Okey doke, I'll ring the estate agent on Monday and arrange a time. Tuesday would be good, we're both off in the morning, right?" she frowned. Max nodded in conformation.

"Okey doke" Zoe wrote the information down on her list. They then looked at some other houses, the addresses of which Zoe wrote down, in case they didn't like the house that they wanted and needed to arrange to view another one.

"I can't wait for the twins to get here and for us to move" Zoe admitted as Max placed a kiss on her cheek. "We're going to be a proper family" she beamed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next morning…

Zoe and Max woke up early, they were due at the ED for nine. Zoe got had got up, had a shower, and done her makeup pretty quickly, but she could not get her contact lenses in.

"Oh, for God's sake!" she growled, and gave up. "I guess I'll have to wear my glasses today" she muttered to herself.

"What's up?" Max said as he checked his phone for texts. Unsurprisingly, he was still in bed.

"I can't get my contact lenses in!" Zoe sighed.

"Oh… you have your glasses, right?" Max wondered why she was upset.

Zoe nodded. "Yeah, but I look about 50 when I wear them!" she explained.

"I thought you were 50?" Max teased.

"Max Walker, you are going to pay for that!" she growled, chucking a hairbrush at him. His expression turned from cheeky to panic and he ducked, the brush just missed him.

"Damn." Zoe laughed.

"It's not funny!" Max protested from under the covers.

"'Tis! Anyway, I'm going downstairs for some breakfast" Zoe got her glasses on.

Max eventually got himself out of bed and dressed, he and Zoe had breakfast together, and he drove them to work.

"Zoe, you know I didn't mean it, about you looking 50? I think, no, I know that you are stunning, I'm so proud that you're my partner, I love you" Max said as they got out of Zoe's Audi.

"I know you were only teasing" Zoe intertwined her fingers with his and squeezed his hand gently. "I love you too, a lot. I can't wait for us to hopefully move into the new house, and for the twins to be born, it's going to be perfect" she continued.

"I agree. I'll see you later" Max gave her a kiss goodbye.

Zoe put her bag and coat in the office, put her stethoscope around her neck and made her way out into the ED. Rebecca of course, was off because it was Jake's fourth birthday. Zoe smiled to herself. She knew Rebecca doted on her son, but both she and Zoe had had a load of paperwork recently so Rebecca had not been able to spend as much time with her family as she'd like. The admin days had gone very well, Zoe was glad that there was someone else to share the workload.

She heard the familiar sound of a trolley being pushed and Dixie's voice reeling off a patient's stats. She made her way to the entrance of the ED and met Dixie. "Right, what have we got?" she asked.

Zoe and Max's shift was relatively uneventful… until around lunchtime, that is.

Zoe was signing a patient's report when there was a knock on the office door. "Come in." she called.

"Zoe, Danielle has had a suspected epileptic fit." Zoe looked up to see Rebecca, holding Jake, who looked rather confused.

"Oh my God. When? Where? Is she here now?" Zoe asked, getting up.

"Yeah, she is. We were just at Playworld for Jake's birthday and Dani was in the ball pool playing tag with one of his friends, she suddenly started to fit." Rebecca answered.

"What a horrid thing to happen on your birthday, little man!" Zoe said sympathetically to Jake. He nodded.

"I'll keep an eye on him for a bit, Rebecca you go and see what's up with Dani. I'll log my computer off and then I'll be right with you." Zoe decided.

Rebecca nodded. "Okay, and Jake, be good!" she warned her son.

"Yes Mummy!" Jake wriggled out of his mother's grip and took Zoe's hand. Rebecca left the room.

"So Jake, what did you get for your birthday?" Zoe asked as she logged her computer off.

Jake began to reel off a list of mostly Transformers, Thomas The Tank Engine, and Ben 10 related gifts.

"Right" Zoe checked her phone for messages. "Let's go and see your sister."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A/N

So I hope that you all enjoy this (long) chapter! There's a little (nice) surprise coming up soon via Max for Zoe, so stay tuned!

By the way, the next chapter probably won't be up on Thursday, as I usually write ahead but I've only just finished this one! (school, school, and more school!)

Also a slight trigger/upset warning for this chapter as it contains a description of an epileptic fit.

Reviews welcome.

Laura xxx

"Er Max, do you know where Dani is?" Zoe spotted him coming out of Resus.

"I think Lily is with her, in a private room? I'm not sure" Max replied.

"Thanks anyway" Zoe smiled.

Zoe and Jake eventually found Danielle, Rebecca, and Rebecca's husband, Ian, in a separate room a few wards away.

"Hello Dani, I've brought someone to see you." Zoe opened the door.

Danielle looked shaken and pale. "Hey, Jake, Zoe" she smiled weakly.

"So… is anyone running any tests or anything? If they're taking a while I can always get the lab to hurry up" Zoe asked.

Her deputy shook her head. "No, Robyn's chasing them up. Can you keep an eye on these two, for a bit? Ian and I were just about to get a coffee" she asked.

Zoe nodded. "Of course, Rebecca. I've told Dylan to keep things ticking over, as long as he and Ash aren't at each other's throats!" she smiled.

Rebecca smiled faintly back. "Thank you" she said, before she got up, took Ian's hand and the couple left the room.

"Hello" Zoe smiled at Dani. "How are you feeling?" she asked the young girl.

"Sick. Tired. Ill." Dani grumbled. "And my head really hurts, I've asked Mum to get me a drink of water" she continued.

"Okay" Zoe nodded, lifting Jake up onto her knee.

"What's happened? Are you okay, Dani?" the little boy asked.

"Yeah, I am. I had what's called an epileptic fit, that's what Mummy thinks, anyway. I'll be alright, I promise." His sibling answered.

Zoe watched the exchange between the two of them, smiling.

"I must say, your big sister gave your mum quite a scare!" she said.

"Dad makes her jump a lot. She's used to it." Jake shrugged. Zoe suppressed a giggle.

"Cheeky!" Danielle scolded.

"What? It's true!" Jake decided to wind his sister up. Zoe however, decided to stop the argument before it got out of hand.

"Ahem, stop being cheeky, both of you" she warned.

"Oops, sorry Zoe. Anyway, how are you, and the twins? Mum told me, congratulations!" she smiled.

"I wondered why your tummy was so big!" Jake answered.

"Ignore him!" Dani mouthed over Jake's head.

"To answer your question, I'm okay thank you. Max is over the moon!" Zoe replied.

"Oh, bless him!" Danielle smiled.

"He was in such a cheeky mood this morning! I couldn't get my contact lenses in so he said I looked 50" Zoe scowled.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it! He loves you really!" the young girl answered.

"I know he does, he was all soppy afterwards, he knows how to stay in my good books!" Zoe replied.

Danielle was just about to answer the Clinical Lead when her eyes rolled upwards in her head and her body began to shake.

"Oh, heck. Jake, can you hop off my lap for a sec please? And you may want to shut your eyes!" Zoe ordered.

"Okay." Jake answered, and obeyed.

Zoe hurried to Dani's side and turned her over and held her, feeling the young girl's body convulse with the fit. She closed her eyes, a twelve year old should not have to go through this.

After what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a couple of minutes, Dani's tense body relaxed.

"What happened?" she asked, her eyes blinking open.

"You fitted again." Zoe explained sadly.

"Oh." Dani nodded.

"I don't want this! Why me? Why am I going to be on medication my whole life? Why am I going to spend my whole life afraid that I'll get too stressed or worried that I'm near a flickering light in case I have a fit?" she sobbed.

A single tear fell down Zoe's face, and she sat on the bed next to Dani and gave her a hug. The girl responded by pressing her head into Zoe's shoulder, seeking comfort.

"It's okay" Zoe rubbed her back gently. "It's all right, I promise. You'll be okay, you'll just have to remember to take your meds every day, just like your Mum does." She reassured her.

"What if I forget? What if I forget one day on which I have an exam, and have a fit in the middle of it?" Dani sobbed.

"That won't happen, I promise you. And even if it does, you can come here, and you'll be in the best medical hands in Holby! We're not all that bad" Zoe joked in an attempt to cheer her up.

Danielle smiled at her. "I know." She answered.

"What happened?" Rebecca rushed into the room.

"She fitted again, and she's pretty upset" Zoe replied, letting go of the young girl and standing up.

"Oh no!" Rebecca pulled Danielle into her arms.

"Steady on Mum, I'm fine, really!" her daughter assured her.

"I can't believe this is happening to you" Rebecca said.

"She shouldn't have to suffer this, it's horrible." Zoe agreed.

"I know, I thought that 16 was a bad enough!" Rebecca replied with a wry smile.

"I've just spoken to Robyn, your test results are back. You definitely have the same type of epilepsy I do, even though it's not hereditary. We're going to have to run some further tests to determine your medication." Rebecca informed her daughter.

"Okay" Danielle nodded, and Zoe decided to leave them to it.

"I'll be off now, see you soon" she said.

"Okay. Oh, I forgot: Dylan was looking for you. Caleb and Ethan are at each other's throats again, guess what." Rebecca said.

"Not again! I hope it's not over Lily or Taylor!" the Clinical Lead replied before leaving the room.

It turned out that Cal and Ethan were arguing over their respective girlfriends, so Zoe punished Caleb by putting him in cubicles for the remainder of his shift, his least favourite job!

Danielle's tests went fairly smoothly, and her medication was determined. She was to take 4 tablets once a day, to prevent the fits.

"You really should not have put Caleb in cubicles, I got it in the neck all afternoon. Max moaned to Zoe at the end of their shift. He then proceeded to take the mick out of the registrar: "Your girlfriend is so mean! Is it pregnancy hormones? How do you cope? Does she boss you around like this at home? The questions were never ending!" he complained.

"It wasn't pregnancy hormones, he was arguing with Ethan again. And I hope you told him that your girlfriend is definitely not the same when she's at home!" Zoe answered, smiling slightly as she handed him her car keys.

"I did, I promise." Max smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Questions, and Queens

It was the day of Zoe's six month scan, and it was the day when she and Max found out if they were going to have twin boys, twin girls, or one of each. Also, after the scan, they were going to view their potential new house. It was their day off though, so for the time being they were in bed!

"I personally don't mind, I'll love them whatever they are, boys or girls."Zoe informed Max.

"You're not nervous or anything then?" Max asked her.

"Well, I am a little, as I am every time I have a scan. I get worried in case anything has happened to them." Zoe admitted, snuggling into him.

He kissed her gently. "They're safe inside you, though" he smiled as he rubbed her tummy. As if to prove this, one of the twins kicked.

"See, they're fine" Max smiled.

"Mm. they were kicking like crazy last night" she sighed.

"Well, it's a sign that they are healthy" Max counselled.

"I know" Zoe rubbed her bump. "I just wish that you two would keep it down!" she scolded her unborn children.

"Just think what it will be like when they are born." Max grinned.

His partner sighed. "Don't remind me! Nah, I'm kidding. After all the pain I'm going to go through at the birth, twice over, I know it will be worth it." she beamed.

Max frowned. "Why don't you have a caesarean then?"

"I might, it depends. Tess is on at me for a birth plan, but I just was to let things happen normally, to be honest. The only people I want in the room when I am giving birth are you, Tess, and Rebecca ." Zoe decided.

"Well, what about Dylan? He's one of your best friends, right?" her partner asked. Zoe nodded.

"Yes, but I don't think I'll be able to cope with him calling you Maxwell all the time and him bossing everyone around! Plus it would be slightly awkward, and Tess and Rebecca make a good team, thirdly you're just going to be there holding my hand, right?" she smiled.

"Of course I will" he answered, pulling her close.

She snuggled into him, burying her head into his chest. "I love you Max Walker" she informed him.

"And I love you too." He smiled.

Zoe's phone went off, indicating a text.

"I hope that's not Rebecca" she sighed.

To her relief, it wasn't.

"Oh my God! We've got an offer on the house!" she exclaimed.

"You are joking! It's only been on the market a couple of weeks!" Max couldn't believe the news either.

"It's from that couple who viewed it the other day, the price they're asking is a bit lower than it's on the market for but that's okay, we don't have to worry about the money." She mused.

"That's right," Max nodded.

"I can't wait to view the house" Zoe said enthusiastically.

"I can't either! Let's hope it looks as good as it does on the website." Max agreed.

Later, Zoe and Max had a shower together, and he washed her hair for her. Zoe decided to stay in her pyjamas rather than get dressed.

"You're so lazy! Honestly, Dr Hanna!" Max teased his girlfriend.

"What? I'm six months pregnant and I feel like a beached whale." She whinged, getting her hair straighteners and hair dryer out of her wardrobe.

"Remember, we've got the scan at one and then the house viewing at two… It's nearly 11 now, so we need to get a move on! And you are beautiful" Max complimented her.

"Fine. And I know I am" Zoe grinned.

Max made Zoe her favourite breakfast: Sugar waffles with chocolate sauce drizzled on top.

"Oh Max, I love you!" Zoe beamed when she saw her breakfast.

"I know you do. And here's some chopped strawberries to make it healthy" he smiled, placing a bowl next to her plate.

Zoe tucked in, and checked her phone absent-mindedly. Max sat down next to her with a bowl of cereal, he wasn't a big fan of waffles.

The pair ate in a companionable silence, until Zoe got up suddenly and dashed to the toilet. Morning sickness still struck her occasionally.

"You okay?" Max asked her as she returned to the kitchen.

"Yeah" she said as he stood up and enveloped her in a hug.

Zoe sighed and looked at him. "Do we really have to go out?" she asked.

"Yes, then we can find out if we're expecting two princess, two princes, or one of each!" Max tried his best to encourage her.

"So that makes me your Queen then?" she giggled.

"I guess it does" he held her gaze.

Zoe used to be scared of Max looking her in the eye, when they were whatever they were before. But now, she knew he loved her, and she loved him, she was no longer scared.

"Good" she smiled as she kissed him.

A few hours later…

"Good afternoon, Becca." Zoe waltzed into her and her deputy's office.

"Someone's chirpy" Rebecca smiled.

"I am! Any paperwork to be done?" Zoe asked.

Rebecca made a face. "Yes. Two patient reports, three forms. Sorry." She said.

"That's okay, I can do them on the train tomorrow." Zoe answered.

"Where are you off to then?" Rebecca asked.

"Liverpool! Home!" Zoe's accent became slightly stronger at the mention of her homeland.

"To see your Mum and Dad?" her Deputy asked.

"Yep. And, seeing as we're finding out if they're boys or girls today, a bit of baby shopping" Zoe said.

"Poor Max!" Rebecca said as Zoe put her paperwork into her bag.

"Yep!" Zoe said happily, a wicked grin on her face.

"Good luck" Rebecca said as Zoe headed out of the door.

"Thanks!" she answered.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A/N

Ahh! Who has seen last night's ep? It was adorable! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx

"You ready?" Max asked. The two of them were just about to go upstairs to the maternity ward.

Zoe nodded. "'Course." She answered her partner.

"Good." He smiled.

"I'm excited to see them, but nervous at the same time." She admitted as they steped into the lift. Max pressed the correct buttons and Zoe closed her eyes as the lift jolted up.

"It will be okay, I promise." Max informed his partner.

"I know" she smiled nervously back.

They got to the maternity ward, checked in, and Zoe went to a cubicle.

"Hold these" she handed her coat, bag, and scarf to him.

"Fine" he answered, by now he was used to her ordering him around.

"Hello!" Tess greeted them.

"Hey hey! Can we get on with the scan now?" Zoe smiled sweetly.

"Fine" Tess answered as Zoe pulled her dress up in order to be examined.

Zoe winced as the scanner was placed on her tummy. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the horrible cold feeling" she frowned.

"It's not nice, it made me feel sick" Tess agreed. "Speaking of which, have you had any more morning sickness?" she went on.

"Yep, this morning" Zoe said.

"Okay. And by the way, have you got your stethoscope with you? You can listen to the twin's heartbeats if you like" Tess said.

"Yep, I do. Max, do the honours please" Zoe ordered her partner.

Max did as he was told.

Tess placed the end of the stethoscope on Zoe's tummy and Zoe put the other end in her ear.

"I can hear their hearts beating!" Zoe exclaimed with a smile.

"Can I listen?" Max asked.

Zoe handed the stethoscope to him.

"That's amazing!" he grinned.

"It is!" Zoe agreed with a smile on her face.

Tess had a listen to make sure that there was nothing wrong.

"They sound perfectly healthy, and look like it too. Would you like to know what gender your little ones are?" Tess said.

"Yes please!" Zoe and Max answered.

"You're having one each, a little boy and a little girl. Congratulations." Tess beamed.

"Double trouble, more like." Zoe replied.

"It'll be worth it!" Max insisted.

"Zoe, we need to discuss your maternity leave." Tess said a while later.

"I am working right up until my due date, no arguments, at all" the Clinical Lead answered, a stubborn scowl on her face. She had been hoping that Tess wouldn't ask her that particular question.

"Zo, you have to take some time off and relax. I'll finish for paternity leave the same time as you, I promise." Max tried to persuade her.

"Okay… I'll finish when I'm eight and a half months along, okay?" Zoe begged.

"8 months, no arguments," the senior nurse replied.

"Fine." Zoe huffed.

"She'll cheer up later on, because tomorrow she's getting a new pair of shoes from her favourite shop" Max assured Tess.

"Er, I hope they're not heels?" Tess enquired.

"Actually, no! They're a gorgeous pair of flats" Zoe gushed.

"She's giving the heels up… but only until the babies are born!" her partner chipped in.

The three talked for a while more, and Zoe's maternity leave was booked. Then Zoe and Max had to get off, because it was time for them to view their new house!

"So what about names?" Max asked as they got into Zoe's Audi.

"Er, I haven't thought about girl's names, but I want our baby boy to be called Ethan Jacob Walker, that I am not budging on." She informed him.

"Ethan Jacob Walker" Max rubbed Zoe's bump with a smile. "That's perfect, my dad's name was Ethan." He said.

"That makes it even more perfect" Zoe beamed.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

They got to their prospective new house, it was detached, had a fence all around and a large garden.

"This will be the perfect house to bring the twins and any siblings they may have up in" Zoe said as they got out of the car.

"Definitely." Max agreed.

They met the estate agent and she let them in.

"Hello, my name is Eva Carter, my sister, Mary-Claire, works on the Darwin ward in your hospital" she said, shaking Zoe and Max's hands in turn.

"Ah, I've met her a few times, she's lovely!" Zoe beamed.

"So this is the hall, to your right is the large living room. To your left is the dining room" Eva said, making her way into the dining room.

"Then to your right is the smaller lounge, there's a small corridor which leads to the larger living area" Eva went on.

They went through the dining room into the kitchen.

"Wow, this is nice!" Max rubbed his hands together enthusiastically.

"It is!" Zoe agreed.

The kitchen was large and airy, Zoe loved it.

In the kitchen, there were some double doors which led onto a large garden. There was a small patio and then some steps which led up to a lawn. Then to the left there was some woods. To the right there was more lawn, and some steps which led down to a smaller lawn.

Eva showed them some pictures of the garden, but Zoe declined to see it because she didn't want so slip.

They went back into the house, into the hall and up the stairs.

"To your left there is three rooms" Eva said.

"These would be good for the twins" Max whispered in Zoe's in, careful to make sure that Eva wasn;t listening.

"Yep, a room each plus a nursery/playroom. They're a bit close to the stairs for my liking, so not until they are older." Zoe whispered back.

The three went down a corridor, to their left was another two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Then to the right was another room, and further on was the master bedroom, and it had an en suite bathroom, and a balcony.

Zoe gasped when she saw the room.

"Max, we have to get this house! It's perfect!" she said.

"Shall we put an offer in then?" Max asked, his voice low.

"Yes, but let's wait till we get back downstairs" his partner decided.

He nodded in agreement.

They all went back downstairs, Zoe careful of her bump.

"If you have any enquires don't hesitate to call me" Eva informed them both, shaking their hands.

"Actually… we'd like to put an offer in." Zoe said.

"Okay… how much?" Eva asked.

Zoe quoted a price which was a couple of grand higher than the asking price.

"I'll talk to the house owners now, they're on holiday in Wales at the moment." Eva said.

Zoe nodded.

Eva rang the houseowners, and went into another room to talk to them.

"They've accepted." She informed them a few minutes later.

"Have we just…?" Zoe asked.

Eva nodded. "Congratulations, you are now in the process of buying this house" she smiled.

Zoe and Max thanked her and headed out to their car.

"We are going to buy that house. I cannot believe it!" Zoe looked shell shocked.

"I know." Max was equally surprised.

"This is unreal." Zoe shook her head in disbelief.

"I agree!" her partner answered.

"I'm so excited!" Zoe squealed.

"I am too." Max's smile was a mile wide.

"I am so happy!" his partner agreed, starting her car up.

They drove back to their house.

Zoe flopped onto the sofa. She then realized that her partner was nowhere to be seen.

She suddenly noticed a trail of battery operated candles leading into their little garden. Zoe had an inkling what was coming.

"Oh Max, you soppy person" she muttered to herself with a smile.

She then spotted him through the back door. Max was kneeling down on one knee, holding a small black box.

"Max, I…" she gasped, making her way towards him.

"Zoe Hanna, will you marry me?" he asked.

A/N

Cliffhanger! I'm mean aren't I? :P

Hopefully she'll say yes! Sorry about the shortness of this chapter btw!

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Yes, yes I will! Oh Max, of course I will!" Zoe beamed, her voice high with a mixture of excitement and happiness.

Max opened the box for her.

Zoe's engagement ring was silver, and in the middle of it was a blue diamond, she loved it.

"Max, it's gorgeous" she said as he stood up.

"Just like you" he smiled.

He then placed the ring gently on her wedding finger. Her breath hitched.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Yes, yes I am. I just can't believe this is happening" she smiled, then kissed him.

"I love you" he informed her as they went back inside.

"I love you too" tears twinkled in Zoe's eyes.

"Hey, it's okay" he put his arms around her and looked into her eyes.

"You're going to be Mrs Walker" he said.

"I definitely am." She realized with a big smile.

"Oh my God! We're going to get married!" Zoe continued. Max smiled.

"We are" Max answered.

"We're getting married!" Zoe repeated, pulling him close and kissing him.

She got her phone out of her pocket. "Let's take a selfie with me holding up my hand with my engagement ring on and put it on facebook" she said.

"Okay…" Max said as Zoe put her phone up in order to take the photo.

She put her hand up, and to her surprise, Max kissed her as she was taking the picture.

When they pulled apart, Max looked at their picture.

"This is so sweet! Look, Zo" he said excitedly.

In the picture, Zoe and Max were kissing, Zoe had a half-smile on her face and she was holding her left hand up.

Zoe put the picture on to facebook.

"I predict this thing will be buzzing like a bee with notifications when everybody sees our picture, so it can go off for a while." She decided, switching her phone off and snuggling into him.

"Do you remember when I delivered Fletch's wife's baby?" she enquired.

"How could I forget? You cried your eyes out afterwards" he held her tighter.

"Yes, because I believed that our life now would be impossible for me, that I'd never get to hold my own newborn baby in my arms let alone two, that I'd never hear their first cry, and certainly never dreamed of getting married to anyone, let alone you. I was so, so wrong, Max." she said, beginning to cry.

"These are tears of joy, right?" he asked, wiping her eyes gently.

"Yes, they are." She replied.

"Good, because, future Mrs Walker, I love you, and our twins very, very much. And it took me a lot of courage to ask you to become my wife, I'm so glad that you said yes" he said, kissing her gently.

A few minutes later, Zoe checked her phone.

"15 notifications and 5 texts… we just broke facebook!" she joked, giggling.

"Rebecca says congratulations, Dani says congratulations and good luck for tomorrow, and Robyn says "Congrats! Oh, and Max, look after her otherwise you'll have the ED to deal with!" and Tess has simply put a smiley face, so I think they're all happy!" Zoe continued.

"Good, Mrs Walker" Max replied.

"I'm not Mrs Walker yet!" his fiancée protested.

"Yes, but you will be soon!" Max said excitedly, Zoe pulled his head towards hers and kissed him, not wanting to talk, only to celebrate.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12- Meet The Parents

A/N

50 reviews! Oh my gosh, thank you guys so much! I love you all! It means the world to me, keep them coming!

Laura xxx

"I hate train journeys" Zoe grumbled the next morning as they made their way into town.

"Stop moaning! You've got a pile of lovely paperwork to be doing, my beautiful fiancée" Max reminded her.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to being called that, it's amazing though, and stop teasing!" Zoe answered.

"Soppy" Max continued to tease, before an announcement came on over the speakers to say that the train was on its way.

The train came and they made their way to their seats and sat down.

"Tickets?" Max asked in a moment of confusion.

"They're pre-booked, you silly person!" Zoe scolded.

Zoe got her paperwork out.

"Are you sure you're not going to be sick? I mean you're writing, and it can sometimes make people travel sick, never mind people who are six months pregnant with twins!" Max said.

"I'm fine" Zoe huffed, getting her notebook and pen out.

The Clinical Lead settled down to her work, and Max put his arm round her waist and watched her work, telling her if she'd made a mistake every now and then.

"I've finished" Zoe announced an hour and a half later.

"Good good" Max said, giving her a kiss.

Zoe snuggled into him. "I'm tired" she complained.

"It's okay, we've only got another hour or so to go" her fiancée replied, rubbing her back.

Zoe sighed. "I don't miss this train journey! I had three interviews before I got the job at Holby, I hated commuting." She commented.

"Well, at least you don't have to do it every day" Max answered.

Zoe nodded in agreement. "By the way, have I ever told you how much I love you? How amazing you are, how you keep me calm whenever I get stressed, and you hold me and tell me you love me and that I'm beautiful whenever I feel like crap? I love you Max Walker, you mean the world to me." She informed him.

"Oh Zoe, I love you too, you soppy girl" Max beamed.

Zoe smiled. "I know."

The train journey took a further hour, thankfully with no delays.

"I'm nervous" Max admitted as they got off the train. Zoe however, didn't seem to hear him.

"Zoe! Earth to Zoe! Oi!" Max tried his best to get her attention.

"Sorry?" Zoe asked.

"I'm nervous!" To Zoe, that seemed an understatement.

"The only people you have to be scared of are the five year olds who are your future nieces, Poppy and Amy." Zoe stated, pulling him through the crowded train station.

"Oh really? I was wondering about your father who will probably tear my throat out if anything happens to you!" Max answered, semi-sarcastically.

"Dad will be fine. He's lovely! Mum will be too. Oh, by the way, they have a soppy nickname for me, don't laugh" Zoe muttered as they got out of the station and into the busyness of Liverpool.

Max perked up. "Tell me!" he begged.

"Zee-Zee, it was my first word. 'Cording to Dad I was vain from day one, saying my own name first!" Zoe smiled at the memory.

"Aww, that is so cute!" said Max.

"It is! I was an adorable baby, so the twins will be too! Obviously because they're your offspring as well!" Zoe couldn't help bragging slightly.

"Show-off. Anyway, what's the plan?" enquired Max.

"We're going to my house, dummy. Then baby shopping with Lily and the twins later on, and lunch out, my treat" Zoe decided.

"What about your parents? Aren't they coming too?" Max frowned,

"Nope, Mum would complain at outfit choices… and Dad's too slow… they are old you know!" Zoe said, slightly defensively.

Max decided to let the subject drop.

"We're only ten minutes away, we can walk it" Zoe decided.

"Well, at least hold my hand and let me hold your bag, I don't want anything to happen to you!" the porter replied.

"Stop flapping!" she answered, but took his arm and gave him her bag anyway, underneath she liked it.

They got to Zoe's parent's house.

Max's heart was thudding, and he was as pale as a sheet.

"Max, are you okay?" Zoe frowned.

"No I'm nervous." He replied snappily.

"Oh, give over!" She replied, leaning over and ringing the doorbell.

"Did you live here as a child?" he asked.

"No, we moved just before Lily was born" Zoe replied just as someone answered the door.

A small girl opened the door, looking nervous.

With some difficulty, Zoe bent down to her level.

"Poppy! It's Auntie Zoe, don't you remember me?" she asked.

Poppy's features broke into a big smile, a smile which reminded Max of Zoe. "Zee-Zee!" she smiled, jumping into Zoe's arms.

"Careful, I'm going to have two babies soon, make sure you don't hurt them!" Zoe warned, shifting her niece to her hip.

"Who's that?" Poppy pointed to Max.

"That's Max, I'm going to get married to him" Zoe replied.

"Okay! Can we go inside now?" Poppy asked.

"Yep, we-" Zoe was interrupted by a woman swamping her in a hug.

"Zoe! How are you? Is this Max? how are the babies?" she asked.

"Hi Mum! I'm fine, the babies were doing fine until you swamped me, and this is Max!" Zoe laughed.

Zoe's mum shook hands with Max. "Hello, I'm Zoe's Mum, call me Alice. And how are you, young man?" she enquired.

Max went slightly red at the ears. "Um, hello Alice, nice to mete you. And I am fine thank you, how are you?" he asked politely. Zoe giggled.

"I think your Granny is scaring Max!" she whispered into her niece's ear. Poppy laughed.

"She can be quite scary!" she agreed.

"He's a gent, isn't he, Zee?" Alice turned back to Zoe before falling into conversation with her future son in law.

The little party went inside, and Alice led them into a spacious living room.

A silver-haired man and a younger woman were playing Snakes and Ladders with a young girl, who Max assumed to be Amy.

"Granny!" the little girl smiled, and jumped up.

"Hello, Amy." Alice smiled.

"Zee! Poppy, get down so I can hug your Auntie!" Lily ordered.

Amy obediently wriggled off Zoe.

"Lil! How are you?" Zoe gave her sister a big hug.

"I'm alright thank you! And you?" Zoe said as they all sat down.

"Hello, Max, I'm Richard." Zoe's dad said. Alice had eventually let him go, in order to go and get everyone some tea and biscuits.

"Hello, Richard, I'm sorry I didn't get to speak to you until now, your wife can be a little overwhelming!" Max replied.

"I know she can" Richard chuckled.

"So she's pregnant with twins?" he asked.

"Yep." Max kept quiet about their engagement, he and Zoe were going to announce it together.

"She's doing okay at the moment, her mood swings are terrible though!" Max continued,

"Ah, she takes after her mother then!" his future father in law said. Max nodded in agreement. "I guess so."

"Hello Dad" Zoe made her way over and gave her father a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello princess, how are you doing?" Zoe's dad asked.

"I'm okay thanks" Zoe said, then surprised Max by sitting on his knee.

"Zoe!" Max protested, his voice slightly muffled by her hair.

"You love me!" his fiancée answered.

Lily came up to them.

"Sis, when are you going to tell Ma and Pa about your engagement? I saw the facebook post, don't try and hide it! Amy has noticed your ring, it's only a matter of time until she blurts it out" she whispered in Zoe's ear.

"Fine, we'll tell them now" her sister answered.

"Mum, Dad, we have an announcement" Zoe stood up, prompting a sigh of relief from Max.

"What's the matter? You're not breaking up are you?" asked Richard

Max pulled Zoe close. "No, we're engaged." He replied.

"Congrats! I'm so happy for you!" Lily played dumb.

Zoe laughed as she gave her a hug. "You are the worst fibber! Anyone would know that you knew!" she muttered to her.

"Zee, that's wonderful!" Zoe's Dad was the next to congratulate them both.

Zoe's mum gave the couple a hug. "Well, Zee, congratulations" she smiled.


	13. Chapter 13-Sister Act

Chapter 13

A/N

This has probably been my favourite chapter to write so far! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx

"Right, where are we having dinner?" Zoe asked as she, Max, Lilly, and the twins all trooped out of Alice and Richard's house.

"Pizza Hut!" the twins and Max said happily. To his surprise, the twins had taken a shine to Max.

"No!" replied Zoe and Lily.

"Yes!" Max answered.

"Nope, how about the little Italian place we used to go to as kids, Zee?" Lily suggested.

"That sounds good!" Zoe agreed.

"Alright, then we can still have pizza!" Poppy agreed. Her twin, however looked miserable.

"C'mon, Ames!" Lilly took her daughter's hand.

"Fine" scowled Amy.

"I'm okay with that" Max smiled, taking Zoe's hand. Hanging on to Zoe's other was Poppy.

"Good" Zoe answered.

They ate lunch at a small Italian café, a place with Lily and Zoe frequented as youngsters.

"I can't believe this place is still standing" commented Zoe as they made their way back out after their dinner.

"I agree!" Zoe replied.

"Where to next?" Lily asked.

"We are planning on some baby shopping, if that's okay with you?" enquired Zoe.

Lily nodded. "That's fine, Mothercare for practical stuff and Next for baby clothes, am I right?" she asked.

"You know me too well! definitely!" Zoe said.

"I don't mind" Max agreed.

They made their way back into Liverpool.

They decided against going through the shopping centre, Poppy got rather claustrophobic.

Poppy held onto Zoe's hand tightly as they fought their way through the crowds,

"It's alright, we'll be in a big shop soon, which hopefully won't be so busy" Zoe comforted her niece. Poppy gave her a weak smile in return.

They got to Mothercare, Zoe gasped as she went in. "I've died and gone to heaven. Let's look round!" she looked like a child in a candy store. She let go of Max and Poppy's hands and shot off.

"Oi! Wait up!" Max ran after her.

"Look at these! How cute are they?!" Zoe asked, absent mindedly rubbing her bump. She pointed to a baby grow with "Mummy and Daddy's Little Cupcake" on it.

Max fell in love with it too. "You're right, it's adorable!" he grabbed a basket and put the all in one suit in it.

"Er, you two! Don't get too carried away with cutsie stuff, do that first and then practical stuff!" Lily ordered.

"Okay" Zoe nodded.

"They're cute for when our daughter comes home!" Zoe pointed to a simple pink bodysuit.

"Okay, we could get a matching one for Ethan?" Max asked.

"Yeah, maybe in blue or green?" Max suggested.

"We need hats as well, they could be cold" Zoe insisted.

They picked lots of babyclothes for their son and daughter, Zoe cooing at almost everything, Lily occasionally joining in.

"This is cute for your little girl" Lily handed Zoe a little top with "I Love The Sun!" on it.

"And appropriate because she'll be born in summer! I wish we could think of a name for her" her sister added the item to their basket, which was now almost full.

"How about…" Lily spoke several names.

"Hmm… did you say Sophia?" Zoe asked. Lily nodded.

"Sophia… I like it!" Zoe smiled.

"How about Sophia Lily?" Max suggested, making Lily grin.

"Yes! Sophia Lily Walker" his fiancée tested the name out.

"Sophia and Ethan Walker" Max chipped in, he loved the names as well.

"They're perfect names for my niece and nephew" Lily approved.

"They're kicking, I think that's a yes from them!" Zoe said.

Lily put her hand on her sister's bump. "Oh bless! Do you like them?" she cooed.

"Soppy lot!" Max protested.

"You love it, and I know it Mr Walker!" Zoe laughed.

"Underneath…" he admitted, pulling Zoe into his arms. Lily had been dragged off by Amy, who had spotted a doll "I just have to have!"

"I know you do" Zoe replied, leaning up to kiss him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14- A Day On Darwin and Keller

A/N

So I've done something completely out of the water for this chapter! I hope you all enjoy! I'm not quite sure who is on which ward in Holby so I'm taking artistic licence and saying they're all on both! ;)

Oh and there's another note at the end of this chapter too, please read :-)

A few weeks later…

Zoe was seven and a half months pregnant, and was getting grumpier and more tired by the day.

Despite her best efforts, Rebecca had not managed to persuade her friend and colleague to take maternity leave early. She was worried about Zoe, the Clinical Lead seemed to get more stressed by the day.

"Zoe… I have an idea." Rebecca suggested to her boss. They had just come on shift, and Zoe was just about to get her team together and organize them.

"Okay…" the other woman answered suspiciously.

"You know how Guy Self is always going on about how different parts of the hospital being more interactive? Well, he's suggested that one of us spend a day on the Darwin and Keller ward, why don't you go up there today, have a break?" Rebecca suggested.

"Hmm… that would be okay…" the Clinical Lead mused.

"Would it?" Rebecca narrowed her eyes, she wasn't sure if Zoe was joking or not.

"Yes! You can manage for a day, right? And can Max come?" Zoe looked enthusiastic.

"I suppose, as long as Dylan behaves!" Rebecca replied.

"I'll get my scrubs on then!" Zoe replied.

"Alright…" Rebecca said, slightly dazed. She was surprised at Zoe's reaction.

"Zoe? Is that you?" Max asked his fiancée in surprise a while later.

"I'm in scrubs! Big deal! C'mon, we're off to Darwin and Keller for a day" Zoe dragged him off.

"Er, has she had a brain transplant?" Rita was shocked by Zoe's behaviour.

"She is human you know!" Charlie answered.

"I know, I'm just shocked, is all!" she answered.

"I'm looking forward to this, to be honest. It won't be as stressful as the ED" Zoe said as she and Max made their way up a flight of stairs.

"Operations? Transplants? Really?" Max wrinkled his nose.

"Yes! And stop being so adorable!" Zoe popped a kiss on his nose.

"You're the adorable one in this relationship!" he protested, putting his arm around her waist. Zoe wasn't fussed about people seeing them and disapproving of them, she didn't care anymore.

"Oh shut up" Zoe made her way to a ginger haired nurse.

"Hello, I'm Dr Zoe Hanna from the ED? Rebecca Parkerson sent me up to help out for the day" she said, smiling nervously.

"Ah, hello. I'm Mary-Claire, welcome to AAU." She smiled, shaking Zoe's hand.

"Hi, oh and this is Max, my fiancée" Zoe gestured to him.

"And I see you have a little one on the way? Have you had your usual checkups?" MC enquired.

"Yes, two actually" the other woman corrected.

"I'd better go and make my presence known, bye Zo" Max gave his partner a quick kiss.

"Dr Hanna?" Zoe turned around to see another woman in scrubs, her skin was pale and her hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail.

"Are you Jac Naylor? The Jac Naylor?" Zoe enquired, shaking her hand.

Jac smiled slightly. "I am. Welcome to Darwin and Keller. I'll take you to meet the rest of the team" she replied.

"She's a wee bit scary, be careful!" Mary Claire said into Zoe's ear.

"Thank you!" Zoe mouthed before catching Jac up.

"Am I walking a bit fast?" asked Jac.

"Just a bit, I am seven and a half months pregnant with twins!" Zoe snapped.

Jac decided not to reply, lest she got herself into an argument.

"I think Serena Campbell will want a word with you, and Ric Griffin will. I'll introduce you to the staff on both wards in a moment, I have something to see to first" Jac said, and then went off on the other direction.

"Okay…" Zoe sat down on a nearby chair, she was getting breathless.

"Are you okay?" someone asked.

Zoe looked into a pair of caring, chocolate coloured eyes, and felt at ease.

"Yes, just a little breathless. I'm Dr Zoe Hanna, I've come to help out on Darwin and Keller for a day" she replied.

"I'm Mo, Cardiothoracic Registrar, pleased to meet you" the other woman shook Zoe's hand.

"Hi" Zoe smiled.

She was introduced to the other staff by Mo.

"I think it's best if we keep you on cubicles, but if there's an urgent operation, would you be okay to assist?" Mo asked.

"Yeah, that's fine" Zoe said, who was eager to get her hands dirty, so to speak.

The day on Darwin and Keller went well, Zoe made lots of friends among the staff.

She was doing a patient's obs when Jac tapped her on the shoulder.

"You're needed in theatre, arterial bleed, nothing difficult" she said shortly, then hurried off.

A shiver of excitement shot down the Clinical Lead's spine.

"I'm off to scrub in, Max." Zoe informed him.

"Good luck, you'll be fine" Max gave her a peck on the lips.

Much to her surprise, Zoe was asked to lead the operation, with Mo and Arthur assisting.

The operation went well, with no problems whatsoever,

Zoe and Max's shift ended.

"Pub?" Mary-Claire asked.

"Er, maybe another time? I'm dead on my feet" Zoe apologized.

"That's quite all right, we've all enjoyed working with you, right Harry?" the other woman asked the trainee doctor.

He nodded, too busy playing on his phone to take much notice.

"Men! When your little ones are born, pop in to see us yeah?" she said.

"Of course" Zoe answered with a smile.

She made her way back to the ED, Max hot on her heels.

"I enjoyed that, helping out on operations… It's been nice to have a break from the ED" she said.

Max took her hand. "Good" he beamed.

"Jac said I'm more than welcome to come back… it's been odd, not being in charge, but nice." His partner answered.

"I've a feeling that's high praise from Miss Naylor"

"I agree!" she answered.

Zoe got back to her office, where Rebecca was waiting. "Good day?" she asked, looking up from her phone.

"Yes! I enjoyed it" Zoe filled her friend in on the day's goings on.

"Glad to hear it, was it a break for you?" Rebecca enquired.

Zoe nodded. "Definitely!" she said.

The two did some paperwork and went their separate ways.

"Zoe, I've just got a text through from Eva… we can officially move out of our house, the deal on it has been finalized." Max beamed at his fiancée.

"That's amazing!" Zoe grinned, surprising him by kissing him right there in the carpark.

They had already had decorators in on their new house, and almost everything had been moved out of their current one. The deal on their new house had gone through and the money had been exchanged, they were waiting for the deal on their current house to go through."It's our weekend off, right?" Zoe clarified.

He nodded. "That's right."

"Well… we can move our remaining stuff out and actually move, tomorrow if we wanted!" Zoe realized.

"We can! Let's do it tomorrow!" Max grinned.

A/N

So I know this is unrealistic in house terms but I didn't think all of the moving stuff would be worth writing, it's better to get straight to the point!

Laura xxx


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15-Moving Part 1-An Emotional Matter

Early the next morning, Zoe woke up.

"I'm going to move today" she mused.

She had a lot of memories of her beloved apartment, not all of them happy ones, she was eager to make a fresh start.

"Good morning" Max stirred beside her.

"Hey" she gave him a kiss.

"Are you alright?" he frowned, she looked a little miserable.

"Just emotional, that's all. I can't quite believe we're moving" she answered.

"Aww, bless!"

"I'm not cute." She scowled.

"Are!"

"Am not"

"You are!"

"Stop it! I am not cute!" Zoe protested.

"You are" Max insisted.

"Fine" she huffed as he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I love you." He informed her.

"You too" Zoe snuggled into him.

"Are the twins alright?" he asked, rubbing her tummy, smiling as he felt one of them kick.

"Mm-hm." She smiled.

"Good, and you?" he looked quite concerned.

"Tired… exhausted… wishing that the twins were already… apart from that I'm fine." She sighed.

"Oh, Zo, you could always take early maternity leave, I'm sure that Rebecca would manage fine." Max tried to talk her into it.

"No. I love my work." She said stubbornly. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Zoe, what's up?" he asked.

"I'm scared Max." came her simple reply.

"What of?" he looked into her eyes.

"Our babies! What if the birth doesn't go right? What if they die?" she asked, crying now.

"Shh" he said.

"I'm shit-scared, what if I become too stressed at work and my contractions start? What if we go out for a day and I fall over? What if…" she started sobbing.

"Hey, calm down" he said gently. "I hate seeing you upset"

"Really?" she hiccupped.

"Yes, it's horrible. Seeing the person you love the most in the world cry isn't exactly pleasant" he informed her.

"Soppy" she gave a slight smile.

"Chin up. You can do one of them fancy birthing plan that Tess never shuts up about" Max suggested.

"Hmm. I suppose the new house is only ten minutes away from the ED…" Zoe began to see sense.

"See, everything will be fine" he reassured her.

"I know, I'm just being silly." She sniffed.

After a few more assurances, Zoe got up, closely followed by her fiancée.

"This feels ever so strange" Zoe was packing up the last of her makeup.

"You're the strange one" Max teased. She chucked an almost empty lipstick tube at him.

"Shit!" he swore as the tube hit his shoulder.

Zoe put her arm protectively around her bump. "Not in front of the twins!" she scolded.

"So you can't swear until they're born, then" he called back.

"Hmph, I didn't think of that!" she admitted.

"Zoe Hanna: Brilliant doctor, not so bright at home!" Max said.

"Right, I am going to get you for that!" she yelled, trying, but failing to get up off the floor due to her size.

"Bloody hell!" she growled in annoyance.

Max started to laugh. "That is priceless!" he said, helping her up, narrowly avoiding a slap.

They eventually got packed up without anymore incidents.

"Come on then, Spiderman." Max said gently. Zoe had gone on a little tour of her house for the last time.

Zoe nodded. "Okay." She said. "I'm going to miss this place" she went on.

"I am too" Max said.

"Fibber!" she jabbed him in the ribs.

"It'll always be special, for us that is. But our new place will be a special place for us and out children as a family" he said.

Zoe nodded. "I'm pregnant, I'm allowed to be emotional!"

"I love you no matter how emotional you are" he grinned.

She nodded and smiled.

Zoe took one last look around her house and stepped out of the front door.

Max joined her on the front step and shut the front door.

"Come on" he led her down her drive.

Max drove them away, a tear spilled down Zoe's cheek.

"It's okay" he squeezed her hand gently.

"Bye old house, hello new family house" she commented. Max nodded.

"That's the right attitude! Out with the old, in with the new" he smiled encouragingly.

They dropped off the keys to their old house at Robyn and Lofty's, because they were picking up a few bits and pieces, then they were giving Zoe a lift to the estate agents as she had to drop the keys off as she was the official house owner, she also had to get the keys for the new house as it was in her name.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16-Moving Part 2

The extra pieces of furniture had been moved into Zoe and Max's new house, curtsey of Lofty and Max, but the process did not go without Zoe and Robyn giving them an occasional telling off! Zoe had also dropped off the keys to their old house and picked up the ones to their new house at the estate agents.

Zoe had got bored with unpacking, so she had a walk around the garden.

Max, on the other had had unpacked all of his stuff and put it tidily in his wardrobe. He was just unpacking Zoe's collection of rom-coms to go in the TV cabinet when he realized that he hadn't seen his fiancée for a while.

"Zoe? Zo-e? Where are you?" he called.

He got quite panicky when she didn't call back.

"Zo? This isn't a joke!" he rushed through their new house, checking every single room.

Max headed out into the garden, maybe she was there.

He spotted her taking a picture of their new house on her Ipad, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't you ever do that again, Zo! I thought I'd lost you!" Max scolded.

"Don't be daft!" Zoe rolled her eyes at him, an amused smile twitching at her lips.

"It's not funny!" he protested.

"It is! Oh bless you!" Zoe giggled at him.

"I said you were weird, laughing at every little thing!" Max said.

"Hmm, anyway, look at these pictures!" Zoe showed him the photos that she'd taken.

"Lovely, just like you" Max commented, he could see that Zoe was made up with their house.

"Aww" Zoe smiled.

"I've just had an email from Rebecca… I have to lead a meeting with Guy Self about how the ED is running on Monday." She continued.

"Good luck with that!" Max replied.

"Hmm, Guy and I barely ever agree on anything. It's going to be so much fun" Zoe huffed.

Max hugged her from behind, and kissed the back of her head. "You'll just have to keep a cool head" he advised.

Zoe leaned against him, closing her eyes in contentment. "Hopefully" she agreed.

The couple chatted for a while more and went back inside.

"I'll light the fire, it's a bit chilly" Max said. Despite the sunny weather, it was cold inside the house.

"Okay, I'm going up to our room, I have some admin to get through" Zoe answered.

She went upstairs and got through some patient reports and notes, and emailed them to Rebecca. Zoe and Max's room was quite big, so Zoe was going to use it as an office. she had a small desk, and on it was a framed picture of when she and Max got engaged, her laptop, pen pots and several other items.

Zoe got through some admin, which she was pleased about, she wanted to get as much done as possible before she went on maternity leave, she wasn't fond of the idea of doing it once her children were born.

After she had finished her admin, Zoe connected her phone to her laptop.

She smiled as she scrolled through some old pictures, chuckling at some of them.

"Cuppa for you" Max made her jump.

"You startled me! But thank you" Zoe took the steaming hot cup of tea from him and took a sip.

"I don't know how you drink that steaming hot" he replied, sitting on the bed.

"Hmm" Zoe set her mug on her desk.

"What're you up to, anyway?"

"Secret"

"Oh come on, tell me!" Max urged.

"Well, I nipped to the shops after Lofty dropped me off at the estate agents." She replied.

"He didn't leave you to walk home?! If he did I'll-" Zoe shut her fiancée up by placing a finger on his lips.

"Don't be silly! I purchased a photo album, because it occurred to me that we don't have any, of us. So I thought I'd print some pictures off to try and fill it" she explained.

"Oh, okay" Max nodded, then stood up. "Shove" he ordered her.

"Why, exactly?" she enquired.

"So you can sit on my lap, I can help you choose"

"Fine." Zoe got up and Max sat down, she sat on his lap and shifted about to make herself comfortable.

"That one, definitely that one!" Max said a while later, pointing to a selfie of them both pouting.

"It's really silly" Zoe wrinkled her nose, unsure.

"Go on!" Max said.

"Fine" She pressed print.

"How many more to pick?" he enquired.

"About three or four, we're leaving some room for pictures of when the twins are newborn. Preferably not with me in them." Zoe instructed.

"I'm sure you'll look stunning!"

"Really? After just giving birth?" she arched a quizzical eyebrow.

"You always look stunning!" Max said, kissing her gently.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17-Zoe and Max's Last Day

A/N

I know this is just a fluffy chapter, but there's more action in the next chapter, I guarantee that! :D

Reviews would be lovely!

Laura xxx

Two weeks later…

"It feels strange, knowing that I'm not going to get up at stupid o'clock tomorrow and worry about loads of admin" Zoe commented as she applied some gold eyeshadow, her favourite shade, too.

"At least you won't be stressed!" Max countered.

"True, now what's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes, I believe the twins are especially partial to them at the moment?" Max enquired.

"They are! I can't wait to eat food of my choice once they're born!" Zoe answered.

Max made them both pancakes, Zoe drizzled lots of strawberry sauce on hers.

"I hate sauce on pancakes, butter on them is just fine, you don't need anything else!" Max said as he put his plate in the dishwasher, Zoe still had to finish her breakfast.

"I have strawberry sauce on mine because it's yummy, no matter what you say" his fiancée answered stubbornly.

Zoe finished her breakfast and the pair went to work, they walked for a change as it was a sunny day and the ED was only ten minutes away.

"I'm exhausted" Zoe puffed as she got to her and Rebecca's office and sat down.

"It's not far!" Max protested, then gave her a kiss goodbye.

"It is when you're eight months pregnant! Bye bye, have a good day, I love you" she answered.

"Love you too" Max smiled, then gave her another kiss and left the room.

Zoe tidied her desk up, she had some admin to take home, but not much.

"Good morning" Rebecca came in, bang on time.

"Morning" Zoe smiled.

"Jake and Danielle are coming in today, I hope you don't mind? Ian's on some golfing tournament or other, I didn't want to leave them alone" her colleague said.

"Not a problem, don't make a habit of it when I'm on leave" Zoe warned.

"I won't" the other woman answered.

"Good" Zoe smiled.

"Team meeting in ten minutes, I just have to get my notes together." She instructed.

Rebecca nodded. "I'll be there in a minute"

Zoe made her way out of their office and bumped into Danielle.

"Morning, trouble! Your Mum's in our office. Do not make trouble today, understand?" she asked.

"I won't, you know me! Jake's just coming. Seeyou later" Danielle replied.

"See you" Zoe smiled.

She got her team together.

"Right, as you all know, today is my last day before I go on maternity leave. Nothing will change, apart from the fact that Rebecca will now be running the ship. After the twins are born, I'll still be coming in, from time to time. It's also Max's last day for a while, though he does so little work I'm sure that none of you will notice." She said, causing Lily to giggle, Ethan to look shocked, Max downright insulted, and Rebecca to burst out laughing.

"I'm sure that Rebecca will manage just fine, but if anyone misbehaves I will be in like a shot, okay?" The Clinical Lead continued. They nodded.

"Right then, let's get to work. I'll be in cubicles if you need me" she finished. Her team dispersed.

"Good luck, Dr Hanna. It won't be the same without you for a while" Lily said.

"You'll be fine; just don't let Cal get your back up." Zoe smiled. It was very rare for the trainee Dr to be sentimental, so she knew Lily was going to miss her.

"I know" Lily answered before making her way over to Robyn.

Zoe made her way to cubicles, and Ash handed her some patient notes. "Millie Carter, bed 6." He said.

"And?"

"Suspected fractured pelvis, she's going for an X-ray in five minutes or so but she needs calming down" Ash said.

"Okay, I'll go and work my magic" Zoe replied.

She talked to Millie, who calmed down considerably.

"Times like this remind you that it's all worthwhile" Zoe said to Ethan as Millie was wheeled of to X-ray.

He nodded in agreement. "Definitely" he smiled.

It was then that Zoe heard the familiar squeaking of trolley wheels and Iain's voice. She made her way to the entrance and caught the crew of paramedics and nurses up.

"Ok, Zo? Susan Matthews, 46, been in a car crash, Dixie is still there with Susan's sister, Tanya, 44" he said, and reeled off stats.

"Let's get her to Resus, X-ray and MRI asap please Robyn" Zoe requested.

The ED was full to bursting with casualties, but Zoe Rebecca and the others got through it. Also, Danielle and Jake were no trouble at all, which Zoe was pleased with.

"You two have been quiet today" Zoe said to them as she was taking a break in her office.

Jake was playing on Rebecca's Ipad, and his sister was reading a magazine.

"We can be well behaved when we want to be! It's more exciting than staying at home, that's for sure" Dani answered. Zoe laughed.

"I suppose so! Anyway, we've only got half an hour left, thank goodness" she replied.

"Have you much paperwork to do?" Dani enquired.

"Nope, only a couple of reports them I'm free until after the twins are born. Well, I'm helping your Mum out from time to time, but that's it" Zoe answered.

"That's good… hang on, who's Deputy Clinical Lead then?" Dani asked.

"Ash. As long as he doesn't lose his temper, otherwise it's Dylan." The Clinical Lead said.

"Ah okay"

Zoe, Rebecca, and the rest of the day staff's shift finished.

Zoe logged her computer off, got her things together, took a final look around her office, and went to meet Max.

"You ok?" he noticed that she looked a tad out of sorts.

"Yeah, just emotional!" Zoe replied.

"Oh bless you! I'm glad to be shot of the place for a while" Max confessed.

"Cheeky!" Zoe said as they made their way out of the ED.

"Am not! By the way, d'you want to go to the pub for a last drink?"

"We are coming back, you know! Okay then" Zoe smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18- Kickoff

**A/N**

**Updates are only going to be twice a week on this fic now instead of three, as I have my GCSE's coming up (blah blah blah!) and I have to start revision "properly." I will try to post new one shots every now and again but I can't promise! The next chapter will be here on Friday, hopefully, I don't won't to keep everyone hanging too long!**

**Reviews welcome and I love you all lots and hope you understand,**

**Laura xxx**

A few days later…

Zoe and Max had settled into a routine. Max usually got up around seven, made Zoe breakfast then woke her up. They'd then eat and Zoe would spend the morning emailing Rebecca, Ash and Tess to make sure that her ED was running smoothly. Then she'd make some lunch for herself and Max, and then after that they'd sit in the large garden together, reading or just chatting.

Zoe had sent the last of the emails of to Rebecca when a shot of pain travelled down her back. "Bloody hell!" she squawked in surprise.

"Zo?" Max sat up from his position on the bed.

"I'm-fine" she grunted.

"You clearly aren't" he took her arm and guided her onto the bed.

"Shit" another pain appeared in Zoe's back.

"Are you going into labour?" Max asked.

She shook her head "I've got a few weeks to go yet, it's too soon" she protested.

"Well, if our babies are ready…."

"No, no, please no" Zoe began to panic.

"I'll ring Tess." Max said firmly, getting his phone out of his pocket.

"Tess? It's Max. I think Zoe's going into labour, she's not so sure though" Max fell into conversation with the nurse.

He hung up around ten minutes later.

"According to Tess, it sounds like you're in the very early stages of labour, so we're going to go to the hospital, get you fitted with a EFM, and take it from there." He informed her.

"Okay" Zoe nodded. She was milk white.

"It'll be okay, I promise. " Max gave her a gentle kiss.

"I hope so" Zoe scrunched up her face, another pain, stronger this time, was upon her, Max looked even more panicky.

They got to the hospital, Max left his fiancée in the car and got a wheelchair.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking" Zoe scowled when she saw the wheelchair.

"No you're not! In. Now." Max ordered.

Zoe could see that she was in no position to argue, and got in.

Max grabbed Zoe's hospital bag, locked her Audi and wheeled her inside.

"Oh no" Zoe muttered as they made their way into the ED, and put her head in her hands.

"Morning, Zo!" Rebecca made her way up to them.

"They're coming, the twins, I mean." Zoe explained.

"Max, go and get Tess, I'll get Zoe into a private room" Rebecca ordered.

"Okay" Max took a final look at Zoe and headed off.

Zoe groaned as she felt another contraction coming.

"It's okay Zoe, you'll be fine, and the twins will be too. Cal, go to the maternity ward, and ask for Dr Zoe Hanna's midwife, please." Rebecca continued as they rushed through the busy hospital.

They got to an empty private room, and Rebecca wheeled Zoe in.

"Right, Zoe, I've got you a foetal heart monitor which I'm going to fit you with, it's mobile so you can move around if needed. Why don't you get changed into something more comfortable?" Tess came into the room.

"Okay" By now, Zoe was tired, and wanted to lie down.

She got changed into pyjamas; a monitor was fitted around her bump and lay down on the hospital bed.

"Okay, Spider-man?" Max entered the room.

"Sort of" Zoe replied, smiling weakly.

"If Zoe's waters haven't broken within an hour and a half, we're going to have to break them for her or the other option is a caesarean." Tess explained to the porter.

"Whatever's best for her" Max sat down on a chair next to Zoe and held her hand.

"Er, Max? Tess?" Zoe asked.

"Yes?"

"This is going to annoy you, but I need the toilet and I am not using a bed pan" Zoe announced.

"Something tells me you planned that!" laughed Rebecca.

"Typical Zoe!" Tess chipped in.

"I did not!" The Clinical Lead protested.

"Hmm" Max answered as he helped her get out of bed.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19-Meet The Twins!

**A/N**

**So if you guys are thinking this is going to be the end of the fic, I can assure you that it isn't! I have a sequel planned as well! Though it won't be up for ages yet-so please stick with me!  
><strong>

**Reviews welcome,**

**Laura xxx**

A while later…

"And there go the waters" Rebecca observed.

"Pardon?" Zoe and Max asked at the same time,

"Your waters have broken, Zoe. Look at the floor!" Rebecca answered.

"Oh no" Zoe groaned.

"This is where the fun starts" Tess stated.

"You don't say" replied Zoe.

"I'm going to give you an internal examination, if that's okay?" Tess enquired.

"That's fine" Zoe answered, wincing slightly at the thought.

"You're going to be in a lot more pain than that, soon" Max teased.

She gave him a slap on the arm. "I may be in labour but you are still within slapping distance." She growled.

"I wouldn't mess with her" Rebecca warned.

Zoe's contractions became more and more frequent, Tess requested another midwife in the room.

Max held Zoe's hand.

"Don't you want to see them come out?" Zoe teased.

"No way. One of my friends did that and told his girlfriend that it "was just like a documentary". She wasn't best pleased" he answered.

"Oh, okay" Zoe's grip on his hand tightened as her pain worsened.

"One of your babies will be with us in three, two…" Tess said as Zoe screamed.

A baby's cry filled the room.

Zoe opened her eyes in shock.

"Is that?" She asked.

"Yes!" Max beamed.

"Congratulations, Sophia, I believe?" Tess handed the tiny baby to Max.

"Can I?" Zoe held her hands out.

"Here you are" Max handed Sophia to her mum.

"Hello" Zoe gasped, her daughter was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"She's beautiful" Zoe said truthfully, and gave Sophia a kiss on the forehead.

"Don't get to soppy, Ethan's about to make an entrance." Warned Rebecca.

"I'll wrap our little princess up in a towel" Max said.

"Okay" Zoe handed Sophia to Max.

Within a few minutes, there was a second cry, from Ethan this time.

The twins and Zoe were cleaned up, and left alone.

"I can't believe they're here" Max said.

"I know" Zoe agreed as Ethan began to cry. She rocked him slightly. "It's alright little one" she cooed.

"By the way, I called Lily, your sister, I mean. She said that she's coming tomorrow, if that's alright?" asked Max.

"Okay" Zoe answered.

"I love them so much" Zoe smiled.

"What about me?" Max pretended to look hurt.

"And you, Mary-Jane." Zoe smiled, giving him a kiss.

Sophia began to cry.

"I think she's jealous!" Max laughed.

"She's only an hour old!" Zoe rolled her eyes at him.

"They're so tiny" Max said.

"I know, yet so perfect! I adore their little hands!" Zoe said.

"I agree." Her fiancée replied.

"I can't believe they're actually here. It doesn't seem like five minutes ago since I found out I was pregnant." The Clinical Lead said, a tear in her eye.

"They're our perfect little miracles" Max said, Zoe nodded.

"Exactly."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20-Madness

The next day…

Zoe was feeding Ethan and Sophia when there was a knock on her hospital room door.

"Just a sec!" Zoe called.

"It's okay, I'll go" Max smiled.

"Okey doke, you need to burp Ethan though" Zoe handed him to her fiancée.

Max cradled Ethan in his arms and answered the door.

"Max! Ethan, I assume!" It was Lily, Zoe's sister.

"Come in Lil!" Zoe smiled.

"Can I?" Lily asked Max.

"Of course!" Max handed Ethan to her.

"He's so cute! Hello little man!" Lily cooed.

"Can you burp him for me please? You need a muslin though, Max found out at 4 this morning that he loves depositing his feed all over your back" Zoe warned.

"Thank you" Lily said.

Zoe finished feeding her daughter and attempted to get up in order to burp her.

"No! You stay where you are" Max ordered.

"I can do it myself!" Zoe insisted.

"Okay" Max held his hands up in defeat.

"So how was the birth?" Lily asked a while later.

"Horrible!" Zoe scowled. "It was definitely worth it, though" she smiled as she cradled Sophia in her arms. Ethan had fallen asleep in Lily's arms, neither sister had the heart to move him.

"Ethan looks comfortable!" Max voiced his fiancée's thoughts.

"He does! I bet he can sleep through anything! Apart from when he's hungry!" Agreed Lily.

"Sophia on the other hand," Zoe smiled as her daughter opened her eyes "is a very light sleeper." She continued.

Sophia blinked at her mother, blue eyes wide. "You'll break many hearts when you're older" Zoe smiled at her baby.

"So will my nephew" Lily said proudly.

"I meant to ask you, when are Mum and Dad coming?" Zoe enquired.

"In a few days' time" Lily replied.

"Okay" Zoe smiled.

The sisters talked for a while more, until Tess came in.

"Right, Zoe. If you take it easy over the next couple of days, and if you aren't feeling unwell now, you and the twins can go home." She informed them.

"Good good!" Zoe beamed.

Lily said goodbye and left, Zoe got dressed in order to go home.

"I love you" Max informed Zoe as she changed Ethan into a clean sleepsuit.

"I love you too" she smiled as she lifted Ethan up and snuggled him into her shoulder.

"Sophia is out for the count in the buggy, I think Ethan would prefer to be carried?" Max enquired.

"I agree, he'll only start crying if we put him in the buggy"

The two packed the rest of their things up, Rebecca checked Zoe's blood pressure on last time, and checked on the twins as well.

"You're ready to go home" she smiled at Zoe.

"Good! Come on Max" Zoe opened the door with her free arm in order to let her fiancée push the buggy through.

They were descended upon, all of the ED staff wanting a cuddle with the twins, asking Zoe how the birth went and Lofty asking Max whether Ethan would support his favourite football team when he was older.

A while later, Max noticed that Zoe was looking quite tired.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a kiss. "Home time, Spider-man?" he asked, a gentle smile on his face.

She nodded. "Yes please, Mary-Jane. As much as I'd like to stay and chat with everyone, I'm rather tired"

"As much as we'd like to stay and chat with you all, Zoe is rather tired. So please can we have our children back and go?" Max asked politely.

"Look!" Zoe tugged at his sleeve.

"What?" he frowned.

She pointed to Lily Chao. The young trainee doctor was rocking Sophia, a smile on her face.

"Dr Hardy had better watch out, I think she's broody!" Zoe giggled.

"By the way, in case you haven't already noticed, Robyn is unwell but she did text me saying that she wanted to see the twins, so maybe in a few days time we could go and see her?" Max suggested as they got into the car.

Zoe checked on the twins a final time. Surprisingly, when Ethan had been transferred from her arms to the carseat, he didn't stir, and didn't start to cry, which his mother was pleased with.

"Right, let's bring our children home" she beamed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21-Family Day

**A/N**

**So this chapter is a bit OTT fluff wise, but I enjoyed writing just pure and simple family fluff! **

**Reviews welcome,**

**Laura xxx**

A few weeks later…

Zoe wasn't exactly having the most peaceful of nights. Ethan had gone to sleep at ten, and hadn't woken up till 12 again to be fed, which she was happy with. Sophia, however, hadn't gone to sleep at all. Zoe had tried everything, walking her around the house, sung her several lullabies, rocked her, pushed her up and down in her buggy, but to no avail. Her little baby just buried her face into Zoe's shoulder and screamed continuously.

"What's up?" Max had woken to the sound of Zoe singing but Sophia screaming away.

"This little madam won't go to sleep" Zoe sighed. "Go to Daddy for a while, Soph. Maybe his charming persona will cheer you up" she said as she handed Sophia to her fiancée.

The baby went quiet. Zoe rolled her eyes. "If I'd only known that a few hours ago!" she smiled.

"I'm sorry for dropping off" Max apologised.

"That's okay, but you're on bottle feeding duty till morning. There's some expressed milk in the fridge, and there's plenty of it, too." Zoe smiled, and headed off to bed before he had the chance to argue.

The next morning…

"Hello" Max smiled at Zoe the next morning.

"Morning" she smiled sleepily.

"Are the twins okay?"

"Yes, they're both asleep."

Zoe smiled at turned over to look at her babies, in their cots beside her and Max's bed.

"Hello" she smiled.

Ethan was snoring slightly, Sophia was probably dreaming as she was twitching in her sleep.

"They're actually ours, they share our DNA, and they are amazing" Zoe smiled.

"Who knew that Sophia's nose would turn out just like mine?" Zoe continued with a giggle.

"Yes, a little button nose! And that Ethan is just like me when he's asleep-barely anyone can wake him!" Max laughed, but quietly in case they woke up.

"My nose isn't as small as my son's!" Zoe protested.

"It's still adorable!" Max said, kissing her on the nose.

"Ew! That feels strange!" Zoe protested.

"Wimp!

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

" 'Scuse me, I did stay with you throughout the birth of our children, did I not?"

"Fine!"

The pair's arguing was interrupted by Sophia, who decided that she simply must be fed/have cuddles as she decided to start crying.

"Good morning, Soph. I hope you had a nice sleep-when you eventually dropped off!" Zoe smiled as she cuddled her daughter.

"And I hope that Ethan didn't wake you!" Max agreed as Zoe sat back on the bed and cradled her daughter in her arms.

"I think she just wants cuddles, she was fed less than an hour ago" Max informed her.

"Okay" Zoe wrinkled her nose as an unpleasant smell hit her nose. "Someone's nappy needs changing! I'll do it" she said.

Max made sure that Ethan was still sleeping soundly and made his way downstairs to make himself and Zoe breakfast.

Zoe made her way into the large kitchen, where her fiancée was sitting at the large counter/island in the middle of the room.

Zoe put Sophia in her highchair. The little baby blinked and looked a little confused.

"Soph, you've been in here before, no need to freak out!" Max smiled, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead. Sophia calmed down a little and focused her attention on her father.

"Are there any Cocopops left?" Zoe enquired.

"Yes, I've just had some but I left you some because I love you" Max grinned.

"Soppy" his fiancée replied as she got the milk jug out of the fridge.

"I know you do" Zoe realized that the cereal she wanted was on the top shelf, without heels she was too short to reach them.

"Get me the Cocopops, please. I'm too short to reach the top shelf" She growled. Max did as he was told.

Zoe had her breakfast and checked her emails.

"So, what shall we do today?" Zoe asked a while later as they made their way back upstairs, hand in hand.

"Movie day?" Max asked hopefully.

"Look at the weather, it's a gorgeous sunny day!" Zoe scolded him as she checked on Sophia. The little girl was beginning to stir.

"Why don't we take a trip to the beach then and have ice cream and chips?" Max asked with a smile,

"That would be lovely! Although I hope that we're not eating the ice cream and chips at the same time!" Zoe laughed.

Zoe changed Ethan's nappy, got dressed, and put her makeup on. Max was changing Sophia, so Zoe strapped Ethan into the buggy.

She checked her phone and waited impatiently for Max and Sophia to come down, tapping her nails on the kitchen table.

About ten minutes later, Max came down, Sophia in his arms.

"She's taking after her brother-she was sick all over my shoulder and got sick on herself as well!" Max explained, placing Sophia in the buggy next to her brother.

"Shall we go, then?" Max asked.

"Yep" Zoe replied as they went down the hall.

They made their way into Holby, taking turns to push the buggy. Every so often they were stopped by various people they'd met at the hospital, or patients that Zoe had become close to.

"You know, if it wasn't for the hospital, we wouldn't be here now" Zoe mused as they made their way to the beach.

"We have a lot to thank that place for" agreed Max.

"Exactly. Without Holby City Hospital I wouldn't have met the love of my life-ok, I thought several men I met there were the loves on my life before you, but I guess lucky strikes take time." His fiancée answered, taking his hand.

"They do" answered Max, giving her a kiss.

They got to the beach and Zoe kicked her shoes off. "I love the sand" she sighed in contentment.

"I hate the way it sticks to your feet" the porter countered, unstrapping Ethan from the buggy.

"Well, apparently sand is beneficial for your skin, so nah" Zoe replied, poking her tongue out at him.

"Cheeky kid" he teased.

"Am not!" Zoe considered borrowing a sandcastle bucket from a nearby child, running to the sea, filling the bucket up with water and then running back and pouring it all over him, but thought better of it. She giggled at the image, though.

"What are you laughing at?" Max asked curiously.

"Nothing" the Clinical Lead fibbed.

"Are!" he answered, and began to tickle her with his free hand.

"No! Max! Stop it!" Zoe shrieked, shoving him, and somehow, they ended up in a heap, all three unharmed.

Sophia, who had been napping, stirred, and blinked at the sight of her parents and brother on the floor.

"Yes, we're nuts, Soph!" Zoe laughed at the sight of her daughter's face, and got up and unstrapped her.

"Er, it's nearly time for their next feed-you did bring some bottles, didn't you?" she asked, looking at her watch.

"No…"

"Oh Max!" Zoe didn't ask him why, lest she started an argument, which she definitely didn't want. "I suppose I'm just going to have to breastfeed them here."

"Don't be so nervous, if anyone gives you so much as a dirty loom I'll sort them out." Max said as Zoe began to feed Sophia, she looked a little scared.

"As if" Zoe snorted, and then regretted it because her baby began to wriggle in her arms. She shifted a little.

"Come on Soph, latch on again!" Zoe said in a frustrated tone. She then sighed in relief as her daughter resumed her suckling.

"She gets distracted so easily when she eats, I hope she's not like that when she's older!" she commented.

"Ethan will probably pinch her dinner from her" Max agreed. Zoe smiled, and suppressed a giggle.

"I'm cold" the Clinical Lead whinged a while later. Max had attempted, but failed without a bucket and spade, to build a sandcastle for the twins.

"Well, why don't we get some ice cream like you suggested?" he said.

"No! too cold! Chips instead!" his fiancée insisted.

"Anything for you" Max beamed, his soppiness making Zoe roll her eyes.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22- Visiting

A few weeks later…

"Are you sure that Ethan's nappy has been changed?" Zoe asked her fiancée.

"Yes, a few minutes ago! Sophia has been changed as well!" Max replied, truthfully.

"Okay, okay, calm down."

The couple were going to visit Robyn and Lofty, the nurses had been ill so they hadn't been able to see the twins properly up till now. Robyn had contacted them the previous night to say that the couple's visit was going to be turned into a sort of get-together.

"Did Robyn mention if Lily and Ethan are coming?" Zoe asked.

"I think they are. Charlie, Tess, and Louise are coming as well." Max replied, handing Sophia, who was crying, to her.

"Practically the whole ED." Zoe stated.

"Yep." Max agreed.

Zoe drove them to the student house.

"There's a lot of cars" she stated.

"We can always go home if you like?" Max enquired.

"No, it's okay." Zoe reassured him with a smile.

"There's Rebecca's car! Oh good, I need to catch up with her" Zoe continued.

"Come on, I'll hold Ethan, there's no point in bringing the buggy in" Max stated.

"I'll take Soph" Zoe gently cradled Sophia, who was fussing, in her arms.

Max knocked on the front door to his old home.

"You're here! Finally! Can I cuddle Ethan? Please?" Robyn answered the door.

"Hello, yes you can." Max replied, used to Robyn's hyper activeness around the twins.

"Where's Rebecca?" Zoe enquired.

"Talking with Lofty and Tess, I think." Said Robyn.

"Okay" Zoe stepped inside and went to find her deputy.

"Rebecca!" Zoe tapped the other woman on the shoulder.

"Hello" Rebecca said.

"Zoe, this is going to come as a big shock but Connie is back in the UK." Charlie said, studying the Clinical Lead for a reaction.

"Word is, Mrs Beauchamp wants back in Holby City Hospital." Lofty chipped in.

"But I persuaded her to resign, because I knew that the Grace situation was bad, I gave her the chance to escape... I thought she'd be happy in the States" Zoe answered.

"She had a big argument with Sam, because Sam threatened to hit/smack Grace, apparently she broke a very expensive vase." Tess informed Zoe.

"Is Grace back in the UK then?" Zoe asked.

"Affirmative." Rebecca replied.

"Okay, look, we're meant to be having a get together and a chat, about less serious things. So what's the gossip?" Zoe asked with a smile, trying to hide her anger and keep positive in the company of her colleagues instead.

"Ethan's lost his dummy, Lofty have you got it?" Lily asked a while later.

"Last I heard, Max had it"

"Max! Do you have Ethan's dummy?"

"The older or younger Ethan?" The porter asked cheekily to wind the trainee doctor up.

"The younger one. Now give." Lily growled.

"Fine! Here it is" Max handed the dummy to Lily.

"Thank you."

After a while, Zoe found Max, sat on the sofa next to Lofty. Lofty had Sophia on his knee.

"Where's Ethan?" Zoe asked.

"With Tess and Charlie, Tess offered to bottle feed him." Replied Max.

"Okey doke" Zoe plopped onto her fiancée's lap without warning.

"Ow!" he protested.

"Wimp" Zoe said.

"Am not!"

"You are. Now, I want cuddles" His fiancée ordered, snuggling into him.

"Fine" Max replied with a smile, kissing her head and wrapping his arms around her.

After a while, Lofty went to talk to Tess, and handed Sophia to Robyn who came and sat next to Zoe and Max.

"This little one has had her bottle, she was sick over Tess' back; luckily she had a muslin though!"the nurse informed them.

"Soph! Naughty!" Zoe couldn't help but smile at her daughter, who smiled back.

"Isn't she cute?" Max cooed.

"I am too!" Zoe protested.

"I agree" he smiled.

"Please may I have Soph?" Zoe requested.

"Here you are" Robyn smiled.

"Are we getting something to eat soon, sis?" Max asked.

"Cheeky! Yes, we're ordering pizza, I hope that's okay?" asked Robyn.

"That's okay!" her brother grinned.

"Connie's back in the UK." Zoe stated.

Max tensed up. "What? How?"

Robyn repeated what she had been told by Rebecca.

"I hope she doesn't come back to the ED! There will be a lot of people that won't be thrilled, myself included!" Max mused.

"I know, I know. I'm hoping Darwin and Keller will have her back, although she's not exactly best friends with Jac." Zoe answered.

"I'm not fussed, as long as she keeps off our backs!" said Robyn, ever-positive.

"That's true!" Zoe agreed.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Said Max.

"I agree." Replied Robyn.

**A/N**

**Please review, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the Connie storyline! Basically she's gone to America to be with Grace and she's taken a job as a Doctor at a very large, well paid hospital... I might write a one shot explaining how she left soon!**

**Laura xxx **


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23- Plans

**A/N**

**Sooo… yes this chapter is yet more fluff (but come on you love it really!) but there is a surprise at the end! **

**I've actually completed this fic now, all there's left to do is uploading the chapters, we're only two or three away from the end!**

**I have started the sequel to this fic which I'll be uploading over the summer, so please stick with me!**

**Reviews welcome,**

**Laura xx**

A few weeks later...

"Sooo… What are we going to do about our wedding?" Zoe asked.

"I don't mind, as long as we actually get married." Max shrugged.

She slapped him on the arm. "So do you want to get married in church or not?" she asked.

"Not in church, we'd have to attend marriage classes and everything." Max grumbled.

"Well… I don't want a registry office wedding. Hmmm" Zoe mused.

"How about a beach wedding?"

"A beach wedding?"

"Yeah! C'mon, Zo! It would be great!"

"That actually sounds quite… well, lovely!" Zoe was warming to the idea.

"I'm full of them." Max said.

"Hmm. Well, I don't want to get married on a fancy beach in another country… it would take too much planning, and with two babies, a possible third, if that happens and our jobs, way too much stress." Zoe stated.

"We could get married on our local beach then." Max shrugged.

"That we could. It's lovely, and obviously big enough. Plus, there's several hotels not even five minutes away." Zoe said.

"So are we agreed?"

Zoe nodded.

"Okay, guests?"

"My family, everyone from the ED. That's me, what about you?"

"You, the twins, Robyn and I guess the ED are my family. I have no living relatives." Zoe could tell that Max didn't want to talk about it.

"Best men?" she enquired.

"Lofty and Fletch, I'd like him to be at the wedding."

"Aww, you're such a sweetie" Zoe beamed, giving him a kiss.

"I am. Now, who is going to be you bridesmaids?"

"Tess, Robyn, and Lily, my sister." Zoe replied.

"I bet Robyn will love that! I don't think she's been a bridesmaid before!" Max laughed.

"Aww! Venue?" Zoe asked.

"Anywhere, I don't mind, really. What about our honeymoon?"

"I'm not leaving Sophia and Ethan, I want to go somewhere hot though." Zoe said firmly, determined not to budge on the subject.

"Hmm… Spain? Italy? Egypt?"

"Nah. I've been to all those places before. Ooh, I have an idea. You probably won't like it though" Zoe said.

"Try me!" replied Max curiously.

"Disneyland, Florida. Look, we're parents now, I went a few years ago with Lily when Amy and Poppy were small, they loved it. Pleaseee?" Zoe begged.

"Why not? I'd love to go to Disney!" Max actually quite liked the idea.

"Yay! I'm so excited!" Zoe said.

"I bet you are! I am too" her fiancée answered.

Zoe's mobile began to ring, but she didn't recognise the number.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Zoe? It's Connie, I know that this may seem a bit of a shock but I really need to talk to you." Zoe was shocked.

"Okay…" she replied.

"Can we meet somewhere? I have Grace with me, I hope that's okay?"

"That's fine, I-" Zoe was cut off by the sound of crashing and Connie screaming.

"Connie? Mrs Beauchamp? Can you hear me?" Zoe asked.

The phone line went dead.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24-Go, Go, Go

"She's in trouble" Zoe stated.

"If she's been in a car accident, which I suspect she is, there's no way that you're going out to her. No way." Max ordered.

"I am!"

"Zo, think about it. It's dangerous, anything could happen. You can't be irresponsible, you have 2 children, three when I act like one. Please, don't go." Max begged.

Zoe sighed. "Fine. I'm going to the ED, though. Get the twins into the car, I'll ring Tess." She said.

"Okey doke."

Max got the twins ready to go out, Zoe rang Tess.

"Dixie and Iain have been alerted, though if there's any danger of the car, bus or whatever Connie is in exploding, they're going to have to wait. I am not having a repeat of what happened with Jeff." The Clinical Lead stated as she drove to Holby City Hospital.

"I understand." Max smiled.

"I'm half expecting a third paramedic to be requested, I hope Dixie doesn't freak out" Zoe continued as they pulled up outside the ED.

"Zoe, what are you doing here?" asked Rebecca once the four were inside the hospital.

"Connie." Zoe stated simply.

"Ah, okay."

"I hope you don't feel that I'm pushing your nose out of joint?" enquired the Clinical Lead.

"No, no. I quite understand, Mrs Beauchamp is your ex-colleague, after all." Rebecca stated.

"Good, good. And I do feel a duty of care towards her, even though she was horrible. Anyway, d'you fancy donning a green boiler suit and going to attend to Connie and her daughter?" Zoe asked.

"Okey doke. Who's coming with me?"

"Lily and Lofty." Zoe decided.

"Right, I'll go and tell them. There's an RTC in Resus, yours if you want it." Rebecca informed her, then hurried off.

Zoe nipped to her office, grabbed her purple stethoscope, and went to Resus.

It felt strange, treating patients in jeans and a T-shirt, to Zoe anyway. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for Dixie or Rebecca to ring and tell her that they were on their way back.

"You okay?" Max asked a while later. Zoe had returned to her office for a break.

"Yeah" Zoe sighed as she jogged Sophia up and down on her knee, making her daughter smile.

"You're really worried, aren't you?" Max asked.

"Yeah" she admitted.

"It will be okay, I promise." Max said, sitting beside her on the sofa.

"I hope so" she answered, putting her head on his shoulder.

He kissed her forehead. "I love you you know" he echoed the words from over a year earlier.

"I know"

"Anyway, you need to go back to doing what you do best, apart from being a Mummy." Max gently reminded her.

"I'd rather stay here and sleep. Or go home." She answered.

"I know." Zoe sighed, getting up. "Bye for now" she said, handing Sophia to Max, then gave him a kiss and hurried off.

"Zoe, Dixie's just called me, they're on their way back." Tess informed her friend.

"Already?"

"Yeah, they managed to get Connie and Grace out pretty quickly" Tess answered.

"Okay, let's clear Resus, are Rebecca, Lily, or Lofty injured?" Zoe asked.

"Nope, just a few cuts and bruises." The nurse answered.

"Okay, when they come in I'd like you, Cal, and Dylan to treat Connie, and Rebecca, Ethan and myself are going to treat Grace." Zoe decided.

"Okay"

Soon enough, Dixie and Iain were back. Zoe spotted Iain pushing a trolley. She felt sick when she saw who was on it. Grace. Her face was covered in cuts, and she was wearing an oxygen mask.

"Okay, Iain? What's the situation?" Zoe said, walking beside the trolley.

"Well, it's pretty bad. She's unconscious, she blacked out in the ambulance. She fell awkwardly too, and she can't feel her legs or move them." Iain answered.

"Oh, Gracie. Let's get her to Resus" ordered Zoe.

"Zoe!" the Clinical Lead turned round to see Rebecca coming towards her.

"Becca! Go and get yourself cleaned up, and rest." Zoe said firmly.

"Is Grace alright?"

"She will be" Zoe replied.

She went to Resus, where Ethan and Robyn were waiting, along with Grace.

"Can we get an MRI brain scan asap please, also X-ray to check for broken bones" Zoe ordered.

"Okey doke" nodded Robyn.

Grace was wheeled off for an MRI and an X-ray, and Zoe decided to go and see Connie.

"Hello" Zoe approached the bed containing the former Clinical Lead with caution. Surprisingly, Connie had very little injuries, only what looked like a broken arm and a large cut on her forehead, she also had lots of bruises.

"Hello" Connie muttered back.

"Grace is undergoing an MRI scan, to check if she's got any brain damage." Zoe stated.

"I don't want to talk about the crash." Said Connie.

"Okay, okay." Zoe decided not to push her. "So, I know what has brought you back to the UK… are you hoping for a job on Darwin?" she continued.

"Yes, I'm sure that Guy Self will be happy to have me back."

"Er, Serena Campbell is the new CEO." Zoe replied.

"Oh…"

"I'm sure Serena will be okay with it" Zoe compromised.

"Hmph."

"Zoe, Grace is back. And she's awake, asking for her mum, and you." Tess said.

"Okay, I'll go and see her." Said Zoe.

"When can I see my little girl?" suddenly Connie looked very vulnerable, and very afraid.

"I'm sure she'll be okay, Connie. You can see her soon." Zoe answered.

"Mum? Where's Mum?" Grace asked as soon as the Clinical Lead went into her room.

"Your mum is fine, you can see her soon." Zoe reassured her. Tess handed her an Ipad with the results on it and left.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Zoe smiled.

"Okay."

"Your brain scan result has come back clear, but you have a broken leg which needs to be seen to, I'll cast you up myself." Zoe informed her.

Zoe put a cast on Grace's leg. The young girl was very quiet.

"Are you okay?" Zoe asked.

Grace sighed. "Yeah. It's just, being back here is rather strange. First I get asked to go to America by my Dad, Mum gets this job offer over there, comes over, and whenever she picks me up from Dads' they argue like crazy. Then Daddy turns nasty and Mum brings me back here. I wasn't even there very long"

"Did you make some new friends?"

"Yeah, a few. We still facetime, but I miss them" Grace replied.

"Well, I'll have a chat with your Mum, I'm not sure that she knows why she's back here herself-she could've just severed all contact with your Dad" the elder answered.

"Hmm"

"I'm just going to go and check on your Mum, hopefully she'll be able to see you now" Zoe smiled.

"Okay"

Zoe made her way to Connie's room, separate from Grace's.

Connie was sitting on the bed, tears in her eyes.

"You can go and see Grace now" Zoe said. She didn't know how to comfort her former colleague.

"Is she okay?"

"Yes, her brain scan came back clear, she's got off lightly with a broken leg." Zoe replied.

"Thank God."

"She's going to be fine, hopefully. Come on" the Clinical Lead answered, going to the door and indicating for Connie to follow.

Connie and Zoe went to Grace's room, and Zoe left them alone to talk, but instructed Robyn to do their obs in about half an hour or so.

"So… when Connie is better, are you going to allow her to come back here? To the ED?"

"We'll see, Max. We'll see."


End file.
